2010 The Colours of Rum Foursquare 11 Year Old Edition No. 17 Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

Ex-bourbon cask matured for 11 years, including 5 years in the tropics. More settled and balanced than assertive and exotic, this has lovely soft vanilla, caramel and dried coconut accents to the nose but with an arresting, intense, herbal, sweet cedar, cut grass and bitter orange character to the palate. Heat from the alcohol and hints of rosewater enter at the finish. Distinctive, and at the price, one of the better values in the latest consignment. Column and pot distilled. 59.3% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Tasted from a 20ml sample.

Other reviews... Aged for 5 years in the tropics and probably the usual self-blend of column and pot rums. Now I do vividly and fondly remember the 'pure pot' Foursquare I could try last year. I'm sure there will be more. Colour: gold. Nose: always this orangey lightness that's so seductive, these Jaffa cakes, marmalade, actually even more orange juice (freshly squeezed), orange blossom… Aren't oranges stealing the show here? But rum with Vitamin C, who would complain? With water: light earthiness, putty, marzipan, touch of linoleum perhaps… Mouth (neat): not the first time that I'm finding an agricole side to a Foursquare. Orange cake, cane honey, maple syrup, rosehip tea, these touches of varnish and lemon juice that we always enjoy… With water: stays the same, gets just easier – not that it was difficult before. Finish: medium, on orange blossom madeleines and scones, and indeed orange juice. Soft aftertaste. Comments: particularly excellent at just 11. Now since years in the tropics are tripled, that would actually be (3*5)+6 = 21 years. I liked this one better than No.18. 89 points - whiskyfun.com