I’m not so sure it’s accurate though. I’m looking at my bottles, and while Isonomy (bourbon) is purple, so is Sovereignty (bourbon & Sherry), while 2010 (bourbon) is blue. Redoubtable (bourbon & madeira) is green and Détente (bourbon & port) appears to be gold.
If you ask Richard seals he will tell you about the names, the reason he decided to names a rum that. I know his double maturation gets some mixed reviews but I find that he nails it when finishing. He has mentioned in past conversations that some of the blends are all ex bourbon and all ex (insert cask) when blended. He has had several methods over the years of crafting the exceptional cask releases. My only complaint with foursquare is the yearly jump in cost without the feeling that it's better or in some releases as good as the last release. Great bourbon drinkers rum, good flavor, and decent availability.
For high proof or hazmat whiskey my favorite way to enjoy them are extremely small sips like pipette droplets worth then holding them on my tongue until I salivate and you can in real time experience the flavors bloom. When I water it down I tend to either over dilute or under dilute but the sweep as it dilutes in your mouth is amazing.
Coming from a Scotch background, Richard Patterson of Dalmore fame gave a speech where he said that Scotch blenders will often water a spirit down to 70 proof to tease all the flavors out of it. So it doesn't surprise me that adding water to a high proof Foursquare, with all its wood oils intact, would tease out many, many muted or masked flavors.
I love Equipoise, it was one of my staples back in my bodybuilding days. Terrific for mass-building in the off-season. The half-life is extremely long so you do have to drop it extra-early, like at least a month before you even begin drying out for contest prep, but if you get bad side effects from test and you've maxed out how much deca you're comfortable with it's a great option to throw in your stack. Oh! The... the rum? I... well, I haven't tried it, but it's probably pretty good! 👀💦
Great video dude! Just finished a couple of bottles of foursquare. Hopefully seeing Mr Seale at London rum fest this year! Gonna shake that man's hand for sure! Or if there's a dance floor, grab a dance
great video as usual ;) funny you mentionned the hot sauce cask because i don't know if you know but planteray has just released a high ester rum from west indies distillery finished in a hot sauce cask 😀
my favorite foursquare rum is r.l. seale’s 12 year, which may be my current overall favorite rum. i have pondered on purchasing an exceptional cask release, and if your tasting notes of equipoise are anything to reference, i may just buy it. i love rums with dried fruit and tobacco notes, as well as some baking spices. i was a coffee geek before becoming a rum enthusiast, so i suppose my preferences must have transferred over into this newer hobby of mine. an amazing video as always, arminder.
Thanks! The RL Seale 12 is such a good rum. Great price and good proof. And of course love the bottle shape. And the best thing is that its available all the time!
I currently have on-hand the 2009, 2010, Master Series 2 and 3... and yeah, they tend to blend together as far as flavor profile. I think I'm with you on that "no more" policy until those bottles are dwindling or gone. I also second the Old Fashioned with these. Yummy af!
If you already mentioned summer drinking, would you make a video of your favourite rums to drink during summer and some rum-based summer cocktails? I feel that most rums express heavy caramel baking spices flavours and I find it hard to find more fruit forward tropical notes in my collection. I guess that lightER-aged and white rums will be a good call, but making a video about RUMS IN SUMMER could be a good idea (especially for those of us who experience summer at around 30-40°C for 3-4 months)… 😅
Nice review. I am not sure if this is relevant to your Audience, but one small point. A lot of Reviewers, in the Bourbon and Whiskey community, nearly universally argue that the Foursquare ECS series is the ideal gateway spirit, for people exploring rum for the first time who are coming from a Whiskey background (both Bourbon/Rye and Scotch). Or maybe more accurately, given the $110-145 price point most of the ECS releases at, these are the "Whiskey Drinker's Rums." I have to agree. I was a whiskey drinker long before I became interested in rums and a friend poured the 2005 for me at a party. Cheers.
I know quite a few whiskey drinkers that feel that way about Foursquare or had the same experience. Which is great! I hope they then explore other rums as well.. Also, I think the first time I heard about Foursquare ECS was from a whiskey drinker!
Great review. Although I really can't get to excited by the ECS range, don't get me wrong, they are decent rums, and the ones I have owned over the years have all been decent enough. My issue is the "buying frenzy," which takes place every time an ECS bottle drops, especially in the UK.
I've noticed that about the UK. Seems like either there's less bottles that make it out there or there's just many more fans of the series. I feel like in the US, the non-vintage releases typically are around for 3-4 months.
The only bottles I have are detente and 2011. I really want to get this one but after that I'll be done for a while. I've heard redoubtable and 2008 are the highly sought after unicorns
I am subscribed to you and also british barman steve. Both of you are great, but you have made me realize the common denominator with rum drinkers. The Rum experts do not like thier rum any higher than 45% abv. That is a stark contrast with my fellow whisky drinkers. I like my bourbon and most of my selections are in the 90 proof range. I have gotten more into rum because of my budget and some great 12-18 year rums that are the same price as my lower tier bourbons that i drink. The barrel proof stuff are highly sought after by the bourbon community. Rums and Scotches are more on the lighter side of the abv realm. I love my barbados Rums and Doorlys 12 year is one of my favorites. I like both high proof and low proof spirits.
For myself, I've found that I like my unaged rums to be very high proof... well over 50% abv. When it comes to aged rum, generally I've found myself gravitating toward stuff around 48-50%. Obviously there's always exceptions to the rule.
Wife: "Arminder, are you drinking that expensive rum again? That's all you do! Sip, sip, sip!" Arminder: "Leave me alone! I'm doing research for my RU-vid channel!"
I’m looking at getting into sipping Rum but these prices here are way over my cap on what I’m willing to pay for alcohol. I’m a whiskey drinker and same cap applies there I don’t understand how some can justify the cost especially on the secondary market. I know aging is a high cost and big lose process but I believe the 10 a year rule is fair and not used by many. I mean a 14 year at 140 is something I would consider buying but over 200 is way out. So I’ll be sticking to bottles under 100 and I mean quite a bit under this price.
Definitely check out some of Foursquare's other rums that are under $100. For another 14 year rum from them, the Doorlys 14 year is good and around $50.
I have a fun, unique, inexpensive spirit you might like. It's called Coconut Cartel where the rum is cut to 40% not with water but with coconut water. It ends up tasting like a spiced sugar cookie and I'm sure would make an interesting mixer. Yeah, it's no Exceptional Cask series rum but it's fun, tasty and inexpensive. Makes a great sipper, too.
