Romdeluxe Foursquare Limited Batch Series (Yellow Label) 2005

RomDeluxe, the Danish house better known for its high-ester Wild Series, here turns to Barbados with this Foursquare in its Limited Batch Series. Foursquare, Richard Seale's St Philip distillery, is the critics' benchmark for the island, blending double-retort pot and twin-column Coffey rum with a strict no-additives policy. This 2005 release is unsweetened and bottled at a full 61 percent, taken to 15 years.

Matured from molasses in ex-bourbon oak, it shows the soft, coconut-led side of the distillery: caramel, wood and vanilla on the nose, then caramel, spice, chocolate and vanilla on the palate, finishing warm and rounded. There is fresh pineapple, gentle nut and soft coconut here, the column influence keeping it elegant while the proof stays beautifully integrated for its strength. A balanced, sweet-feeling yet additive-free Foursquare with the classic Barbados markers, easy to enjoy despite its cask strength.