A Master of Malt sample I’ve had laying around for a while now. This The Boutique-y Rum Company sample hails from Barbados, more exactly the well acclaimed Foursquare Distillery. Molasses based, a blend of column and pot still distillates, aged for 11 years in the tropics and an additional year in the UK all in ex-Bourbon barrels making this a 12 years old rum. Bottled at 54.2% ABV with a limited amount of 521 50cl bottles and free of any additions.
On the nose is quite rich. Almonds, orange peel, cloves, Luxardo cherries, old banana peel, milk chocolate and marmalade. Old furniture and dusty cardboard. Raisins, sweet vermouth and caramel complemented by plenty of oak.
On the palate it’s quite spice/wood forward. Lots of black pepper, a bit of sea salt along with some green olives, dark chocolate, varnish, sour cherries and apricots. Cloves and caramel again. Pink grapefruit, figs, molasses and unripe pears. So much going on, very complex. Finish is nice and long with cloves, tobacco and salted caramel.
Conclusion: rich, complex with a certain sharpness that balances the drinking experience. Definitely one to try if you’re a fan of Barbados rums. A tad expensive (£65 for a 50cl bottle) but the truth is we have been spoiled with very good prices on all the ECS releases such as Foursquare 2004, 2005 and so on. In hindsight the price is worth it.
That Boutique-y Rum Company – Foursquare 12 Year Old (Batch 1) score:
Flavour/taste: 57/70
Value for money: 12/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 84/100
Cheers!