Thompson Bros. Foursquare MBFS 2005

Thompson Bros., the Scottish bottler, selected this single cask of Foursquare distilled in 2005 and held sixteen years at cask strength. It is the St Philip distillery's classic pot-and-column blend, matured in ex-bourbon oak, delivering the familiar Barbados flavours with extra proof and wood influence.

At 57% it opens with a solvent, wood-glue note that needs time in the glass to dissipate, after which the classic Foursquare profile emerges, coconut, brown sugar, vanilla, cocoa and light dried fruits, over toasted oak and biscuit. The finish brings coconut, toast, oak and vanilla. Good aeration is the key here, rewarding patience with a mild, pleasant toasted-wood character once the initial solvent burns off. A punchy single-cask take on the house style for those who already enjoy Foursquare ECS and don't mind letting the glass breathe.