Doorly's 14 Year Old Rum (700ml)

"I find this Doorly's just perfect and, perhaps, a little 'funkier' than the Foursquares. " - whiskyfun.com

This is the oldest rum under the Doorly's label to date, made at the Foursquare Distillery, one of Barbados' first trading companies, currently owned and operated by Richard Seale, also the Master Distiller & blender. The 14 year old is a combination of pot and column still rums aged in ex-bourbon casks, with a smaller portion matured in ex-Madeira casks. Compared to its younger sibling, it lands at a much higher strength with two extra years of tropical ageing. There's more oak input on the nose as a swathe of vanillas, soft baking spice and rum-soaked tobacco notes develop, however, the distillery's familiar tropical fruit notes remain undiminished. On the palate, the alcohol burn is virtually undetectable, the flavours seamlessly integrated and completely unadulterated. Warming wood spices prelude a rush of exotic fruits, unfolding with bittersweet dark chocolate, toasted oak, allspice, moist molasses cake and wild honey. Alongside Guyana's Eldorado, Jamaica's Hampden and a handful of others, this supple, graceful and near-perfectly aged Bajan rum should be central to any serious bar or collection. No sugar or other sweeteners are added, which will further please purists. 48% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... The mid palate shows more of the Madeira influence. Notes of red wine and blackberries mingle alongside dark chocolate and some faint notes of marmalade. Finish wise we are left with a spicy and slightly heated end to the rum – white pepper and lots of ginger and a trace of cinnamon. The finish is very long and the rum lingers for a long time in the mouth. Lots of barrel char like flavour. Further sips seem to temper the more bitter and woody notes. More fruitiness becomes apparent. Once the palate adjusts the rum has a much better balance than the initial sip might lead you to believe. The extra ABV means this is a rum worth sitting down and spending some time with. Doorly’s XO you can almost swig straight from the bottle – you don’t want to do that with this. Sit down with it and appreciate it in small sips... For most other producers this would be the jewel in the crown. There best efforts. for Foursquare it’s just another great rum....The only people who would be disappointed with this rum are the nuggets that think Bumbu or Plantation XO are great Barbados rums. 4 Stars - thefatrumpirate.com

...Doorly's is one of Foursquare's brands. Colour: amber. Nose: not the first time that I have the impression that by using molasses and blending column and pot still, they often manage (not saying that was their goal) to create some kind of 'agricole' rum. This one's got the same kind of waxy polishes, slightly salty, almost olive-y touches, the slightly heady floralness, the crème brûlée, the tarte tatin, these slightly 'burnt' touches, this earthiness… Now, yes I know Barbadian rum existed way before the French started to make agricole rum, thanks to Napo and the British navy (or the other way 'round). Mouth: excellent, bold, salty, full of liquorice and smoke, cigars, burnt caramel, varnish and olives, some lavender (sweets), aniseed, caraway and cloves… I'm wondering if you wouldn't achieve some rather similar results if you would let some yellow chartreuse age for a decade or so in active wood. Like, in a proper ex-solera manzanilla butt. Seriously, I find this Doorly's just perfect and, perhaps, a little 'funkier' than the Foursquares. But not too sure about that part… Finish: long, with a little pepper, one olive, some orange juice and some caraway. Comments: I even like the blue parrot on the label. Is that an ara? What would the rum world do without parrots? In any case, this Doorly's was extremely convincing. 89 points - whiskyfun.com

Great Foursquare rum, intensive, interesting and very balanced. - rumratings.com