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

"...one of my favourite self-blends from Foursquare so far." - whiskyfun.com

A collaborative project, 'Touchstone' represents the 22nd release in the Exceptional Cask Series, created from a marriage of rums double-aged in ex-Bourbon and ex-Cognac casks for a total of 14 years. It consists of two components. In January 2019 Foursquare acquired ten casks from Camus. The famous cognac producer shipped them to the Caribbean in order to “explore the possibilities of maturing Cognac on the ocean and under the tropics”. A year later in early 2020, the casks were emptied and and the cognac was shipped back to France. The vessels were filled with a 2008 vintage pot and column still blend and 12 year old ex-bourbon cask rum, then aged for almost three years before being blended with another 14 year old rum. This became the first component of Touchstone.

The second component was a pot and column still blend aged for 5 years in ex-Bourbon casks and 9 years in ex-Cognac casks. If it all sounds a bit convoluted, this is basically a blend of double matured blends - or to put it another way - a Single Blended Rum (rum from a Single Distillery with Pot and Column elements) employing both light and heavy marques. Richard Seale of Foursquare is well known for implementing complicated methods in order to achieve different combinations and flavour profiles. As usual the distillation, maturation and bottling has all been performed on site at Foursquare Distillery, Barbados, with the result landing at a potent 61% ABV, absent of any adulteration or chill filtering. It's another one of a kind, limited release showcasing a truly unique approach to both rum blending and tropical ageing.

Other reviews... This is a complex blend of 12 yo Foursquare finished for 2 further years in Camus cognac plus 5 yo Foursquare further matured for 9 years in cognac as well. We continue to follow the rules of Scotch; less than three years is a finishing, beyond that, it's maturation. Yep. Colour: amber. Nose: I don't think Foursquare and good cognacs are very far apart from each other stylistically, which just means that the double maturation/finishing doesn't exactly feel as such, I mean as some flavouring. Everything seems to have merged into some spicy herbs and even flowers dipped into liquid caramel and fudge, nougat, pecans and vanilla. Some bourbons are close too, but that may be those 61% vol. Light varnish. With water: earths and tobaccos popping out, a little incense, cedarwood, touch of compost... Mouth (neat): admirably strong. Lovely citrusy liquorice and a little acetone, probably the high strength at play once more. With water: bingo, we tamed it. Citrus and sugarcane, tobacco, cardamom, black nougat, perhaps vine peaches from the cognac, geranium jelly, edible flowers, borage, wee pansies… Finish: long, a little more on burnt caramel and coffee. I hope no one will take umbrage if I mention Starbucks' Frappuccino. Comments: one of my favourite self-blends from Foursquare so far (but we are eagerly awaiting an 8, 10, or 12-year-old ex-pot still – you say that exists?) The cognac doesn't really come through as cognac, in my opinion. 91 points - whiskyfun.com

...All in all this perhaps isn’t one of the best ECS rums that has been released. Having said that it is still better than probably 90% of most distilleries production. I am very much judging these releases almost in a class of their own now. I am probably being far more critical than maybe I should be…….this is still a very good rum! If you can get a bottle, buy a bottle. At this point in time I would say that about any ECS release. 4.5 stars - thefatrumpirate.com