Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection: Penultimus, Single Blended Rum, 15 Years, Barbados (61%, 70cl)

Foursquare Penultimus—Mark XXX in the Exceptional Cask Selection—is a landmark 15-year-old single blended rum from the Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados. Hand-selected by Master Blender Richard Seale, this release marks the penultimate chapter before the legendary ECS series draws to a permanent close.

The production showcases Foursquare’s first-ever use of Spanish Moscatel wine casks. It features a clever dual-maturation process: one component of the rum is aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished for 5 years in sweet Moscatel casks, which is then masterfully blended with a separate rum aged for the full 15 years entirely in ex-bourbon barrels. Distilled from a blend of copper double-retort pot still and continuous twin-column still distillates, it is bottled at a robust 57% ABV with no added sugar, coloring, or flavorings.

The profile opens with a dense, complex nose of dark bitter chocolate, toasted coconut, and Medjool dates, lifted by a fresh hint of lemon peel and baking spices. The palate is remarkably smooth, deep, and oily, delivering layered notes of rich caramel, ripe pineapple, and sweet vinous fruit. The finish is exceptionally long and evolving, where a lively wave of lemon sorbet gives way to a dry, warming combination of oak, green grape skin, and lingering cocoa.

This highly collectible bottle is an absolute prize for serious spirits enthusiasts, offering a flawless balance between the distillery's signature bourbon-driven oak structure and the refined fruit depth of the wine finish. It is best appreciated when served completely neat at room temperature in a tulip glass, allowing a few drops of water to open up its intense tropical layers.