It’s time for the first (but not the last!) review of an official bottling from Foursquare, the Rum distillery in Barbados. Let’s start with the latest vintage release ,Foursquare 2007 which follows the 2005 vintage from last year (and the 2004 vintage the year before).

It’s a 12 Year Old rum from ex-bourbon casks, all matured in Barbados so the aging is intense and the Angel’s share is on a different (and higher) scale than the Scottish whisky figures…

Foursquare 2007 12 Year Old (59%, £55.95/€59,97/$74.95)

Nose: Bright and fruity, almost perfume-y, banana, fermented fruits, esters, Demerara sugar, pineapple and mango, sweet wood spices. After a few minutes it’s turning perfume-y  with caramelized pears, peaches and some very ripe apricots.

Palate: Spicy, sweet oak and fermented banana, pineapple, green fruit, melon, kiwi, white pepper, black olives, oily, sweet wood spice, Sugary with Demerara and brown sugar, subtle tropical fruits back in the background.

Finish: Medium length, sweet, banana, wood spices and white pepper, green tropical fruitiness, olives and a touch of machinery and oils.

Thoughts: This is good stuff. Good balance of wood spice and the Foursquare rum fruitiness. This 2007 vintage is more like the 2004 vintage which I truly loved and that’s a good thing in my book as I didn’t like the 2005 vintage too much for being too woody with sweet oak. This 2007 is a must have bottle!