Foursquare ECS XV Redoutable

Redoutable belongs to Foursquare's ECS, the limited single blend series from Richard Seale's St Philip distillery that has become a benchmark for aged Barbados rum. As ever it is a marriage of double-retort pot still and column still spirit from one distillery, aged fourteen years and bottled at cask strength with no sugar, colouring or flavouring added, the no-additives ethos central to the house.

The Bajan style sits between light and heavy traditions, balanced and elegant, and the extra age and strength here add intensity and length. Expect coconut, vanilla and toasted oak over dark chocolate and dried fruit, with a Madeira-cask influence lending an extra fruity, roasted dimension and a full, dry body. At 61% it is powerful but composed, rewarding a slow approach or a drop of water. For drinkers who already enjoy the ECS releases, this is the house style turned up, clean, layered and unsweetened.