TCRL Foursquare 2005

Transcontinental Rum Line, the independent arm of La Maison du Whisky, bottled this Foursquare from the 2005 vintage at 13 years of age and cask strength, 55.2%. It draws on Richard Seale's St Philip distillery, whose strict no-additives policy means this is a dry, honest Barbados rum.

Foursquare's blend of double-retort pot and twin-column distillate, aged in ex-bourbon oak with a period in ex-rum casks, gives the familiar house DNA with a slightly wilder edge. Tropical fruit, toffee and pineapple sit against warm cinnamon, vanilla and a woody, faintly funky core, while the 55.2% drives a long, peppery, dry finish. The strength is well integrated, lively rather than harsh. It is a touch less layered than the prestige cask selections but offers excellent value and plenty of warmth, a punchy, characterful indie Foursquare for everyday drinking that still rewards a careful nose.