Hi there! Guess what! Yep, more Bajan juice, hailing from Foursquare to be more precise: S.B.S Barbados 2008, an independent bottling from Denmark made by 1423 – World Class Spirits. Spoke a bit about 1423 in my review on their S.B.S Jamaica 2005 here.
The rum is molasses based, a blend of pot and column still, distilled in 2008 and bottled late 2017, thiat would theoretically make this a 9 year old rum, although no number is mentioned anywhere. I also don’t know anything about the tropical – continental ageing ratio, what I do know is that it has been finished for one year in ex-Marsala casks. Bottled at 55% ABV with no additives, non chill filtered and only 371 bottles available – I heard only good things about this bottle, time to check that!
On the nose it’s sweet and fruity with red apples, the cherry aroma I always get with FS, passion fruit, a combo of raspberries and strawberries jam with citrus zest balancing it. Hot chocolate and vanilla with hints of maple syrup and allspice. Tobacco and woody notes very well integrated!
On the palate the ABV barely feels, I could compare this to the Premise in terms of how easy to drink this is. Sweet at the beginning, developing a creamy mouthfeel and dry towards the end. Plums, raisins, dry cherries, blackcurrants, dark cacao, vanilla, coconut cream and some caramel come upfront. After that apple pie, orange peel, marmalade, cinnamon, spicy ginger and a bit peppery with some golden syrup sweetness. Some black olives in the background as well. It’s definitely fruitier thanks to the Marsala cask finish, has some wineish notes to it, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s either because of my lack of wine tasting or it’s simply very well integrated – most likely both. On the finish it’s drier with spicy oak, coffee beans and dry fruits.
S.B.S Barbados 2008 does deliver. A few bottles are still available in the UK thanks to Skylark Spirits, and while this is more expensive than the recent ECS releases from Foursquare, I would recommend getting one until they run out, at least for the sake of diversity. It does not disappoint!
S.B.S Barbados 2008 score:
Flavour/taste: 60/70
Value for money: 12/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 87/100
Cheers!