Foursquare ECS XXI 2010

This is the twenty first Mark in Foursquare's ECS range, the acclaimed Barbados line overseen by Richard Seale, a champion of additive free rum and the Single Blended Rum idea. A 2010 vintage of pot and column still rum from one distillery, it is matured in ex-bourbon oak and bottled at full cask strength with no added sugar, colouring or flavouring.

Twelve years of tropical ageing show in a rich, bourbon inflected profile of vanilla, coconut, caramel and toasted oak, the classic dry Bajan structure pushed to a bolder, more concentrated register. At 60% it is powerful yet polished, staying balanced and surprisingly drinkable rather than aggressive, the kind of cask strength rum that rewards a drop of water and a little patience. One for drinkers who already enjoy the dry, oak driven Foursquare house style and want it at full intensity, with the transparency and integrity the series is built on.