FOURSQUARE RUM DISTILLERY, EXCEPTIONAL CASK SELECTION, MARK X '2007'

ST. PHILIP, BARBADOS

Labeled the “Pappy of Rum” by Wall Street Journal-Bestselling author and rum authority Fred Minnick as well as being named Rum Producer of the Year three years in a row at the prestigious International Spirits Challenge, Foursquare Rum Distillery is spearheading the popular explosion in premium craft rum with their Exceptional Cask Selections. These rare expressions, blended from hand selected casks by Master Distiller & Blender Richard Seale, are capturing the purity of the spirit and challenging the way rum is perceived and classified – without a doubt standing alongside the great whiskies, Cognacs and Armagnacs of the world. Suffice it to say, Seale’s limited bottlings represent the very pinnacle of rum and are creating a buzz and hysteria among spirit enthusiasts. After selling out last year’s offer of the Mark VI and Mark VIII in less than 24 hours, we went back to Foursquare and secured an allotment of the distillery’s newest, highly-anticipated release, the Mark X ‘2007’.

Easily a misunderstood spirit, rum – distilled from the byproducts of sugarcane – is often perceived as being sweet, with much of this due to producers adding wine, sugar, honey and other sweetening agents to their product. Yet the purest expressions are not manipulated in any way and have no additives, including coloring, and use both traditional pot and column stills to produce a simple, un-aged spirit. It is the maturation and blending process where rum truly becomes an art form, and it is at this point that Seale works his magic. What began as personal experiments have turned into one-of-a-kind expressions from one of the last independent family-owned distilleries in the Caribbean. With the Seales tracing their roots on Barbados back to the 1650s, the distillery itself is a former sugar plantation dating back to the early 1700s. It is here that rum aged in barrels goes through a process of “tropical ageing,” allowing for greater evaporation compared to spirits aged in Europe – and thus a greater concentration of flavors. Designated as his Exceptional Cask Selections, these limited bottlings use unique combinations of barrel types, including port, sherry, madeira and bourbon casks, as well as various levels of maturation to produce truly outstanding, must-have rarities. 
   
As a follow-up to the sensational “vintage release” Mark VI ‘2005,’ which was named the Supreme Champion Spirit at the 2018 International Spirits Challenge – the first time a rum has ever taken home the award – the ‘2007’ was officially awarded a gold medal at this year’s competition just last week. Consisting of a blend of both pot and twin column Coffey still rums, Seale combined first, second and third fill ex-bourbon barrels and aged the rum for 12 years, leaving the finished product at cask strength. With last year’s sell out being any indication, today’s offering will surely go fast. At less than $75 a bottle, we highly suggest securing your order without hesitation before this rarity is gone forever.