Foursquare ECS XXII Touchstone 2008

Foursquare, the Bajan distillery run by Richard Seale, is celebrated for its no additives ethos and its ECS range, limited single blend releases of pot and column rum at cask strength. Touchstone is the twenty second mark in that series, a 2008 vintage given a cognac cask influence and bottled dry at a full 61 percent.

The pot and column blend gives the balanced Barbados backbone, and time plus the cognac wood adds a layer of orchard and oak. The nose is vanilla, oak, spice and orange peel, the palate turns woody and spicy with vanilla and tropical fruit, and oak, spice and roasted notes carry a long, warming finish. The cognac edge is clear and the rum stays firmly dry, rewarding a little air in the glass. A serious, high strength Bajan for drinkers who already enjoy the ECS style and want extra oak and a clear cognac twist on the house profile.