Schotman’s Barrel Selection Foursquare Rum 19 2005

Schotman's Barrel Selection chose this single cask Foursquare from the 2005 vintage, bottled at 19 years and cask strength, 57%. It comes from Richard Seale's St Philip distillery on Barbados, whose firm no-additives policy means this is a dry, transparent rum with nothing added.

Foursquare's pot-and-column blend, matured in ex-bourbon oak, gives the textbook mature Bajan profile here. Caramel, coconut and vanilla lead, with dried fruit and warm baking spice deepening the middle and a polished oak grip running underneath. It is full-bodied and unsweetened, the older age bringing extra wood and concentration while the 57% adds length without harshness. The finish is long, with caramel, coconut and spice trailing off into oak. This is a serious, oak-driven Foursquare for fans of the distillery's mature style, best taken neat or opened with a few drops of water for slow, attentive sipping.