Foursquare Equidem Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XXVII 14 Year Old Full Proof Single Blended Rum (700ml)

"No recent release gets close to this." - rumrevalations.com

Equidem (meaning “Truly” or "indeed") is the twenty-seventh release in the acclaimed Exceptional Cask Selection (ECS) series from Foursquare. Distilled via a copper double-retort pot still and a continuous twin column Coffey still, it saw a double maturation that includes five years in ex-Bourbon barrels and nine years in ex-Black Muscat fortified wine casks, making for one of the darkest Foursquare rums we’ve ever seen. Master Distiller and Blender, Richard Seale explains "I was looking for some Spanish Moscatel casks, a popular fortified wine that is made from one of the many types of muscat grapes. These are mostly white grapes. Only a few producers work with black Muscat grapes and make fortified wine from them, so it’s very rare. I was offered these casks by a French producer. It’s a very robust dark wine. Not commonly used as it’s tricky to get it right, thanks to the wine being very powerful and tannin-rich”. Considered a standout in the ECS series, some tasters have summed up Equidem as one of the most exciting Exceptional Casks to date. Entirely tropical aged, it arrives bottled at 61% ABV, non-chill filtered and with no sugar or additives.

Other reviews... Foursquare Equidem nods towards some of the Velier Foursquare releases – Tryptych in terms of oak/woodiness and has a much thicker and richer mouthfeel than some of the “lighter” earlier ECS releases such as Premise and Détente. Finish wise Foursquare Equidem is long – very long in fact. It’s full of the rich dark fruits and a touch of peppery spice. This gives way to a slow burn of oak and spices. The red wine influence on this one is quite large. Fortunately it doesn’t become too tannic or bitter. So even if you aren’t a Red Wine fan don’t let this put you off. This truly is a “sipping rum” you really should take your time with this and appreciate it. It’s not a rum that I would look to mix (use Doorly’s XO if you want a more “Premium” mixer). I feel that this release is offering something a little different to the previous ECS releases. Highly recommended. 5 stars - thefatrumpirate.com

...I was so impressed by this rum that I pulled Foursquare Criterion, Triptych and Absolutio out of my cabinet to compare. Surely Equidem can’t be as good as these three. What a great exercise this was! After sipping Criterion and going back to Equidem, I got that cane juice feel again. Equidem is more complex, more powerful and has a longer finish. However, Criterion is so brilliant in its simplicity. Perfect balance, wonderful flavour profile. I instantly said OMG! when I took the first sip. So sweet and thick…..it’s rum heaven. That age and abv seem to be ideal. I need to increase its score. Equidem is different, but on the same enjoyment level for me. It’s insane. Like sucking on sweet wood that’s been marinating with leather, tobacco and a drop of cane juice. Impossible of course, but I hope you know what I mean. No recent release gets close to this. - rumrevelations.com

Wow, wow. Insanely complex, powerful Foursquare. The finish in the Black Muscat barrel fits like a glove on the Foursquare eye. This combination is really amazing. I'm not really a sweet person, but the sweetness of a summer jam is just perfect here. This creamy complexity is second to none. For me, this is the best Foursquare I've had in a glass so far, a touch ahead of the Absolutio. Alcohol perfectly integrated. Stands out from the standard Foursquare mash. Doesn't have to hide behind the Velier bottlings. - rum-x.com