To close out Rum Week here is another Foursquare (see here for the previous). I have to admit I am not really on top of Foursquare’s special releases. I know that in addition to the vintage releases they put out some others with names that probably make the marketing braintrust at Dalmore gnash their teeth in envy. This one here is one of those non-vintage releases from 2020. It’s made from a blend of pot still and column still distilled rum. All of it is 14 years old, apparently, but some was aged entirely in ex-madeira casks and some in ex-bourbon casks. Was it half and half? I’m not sure. Anyway, this might be my first wine-bothered rum. I hope I enjoy it more than I do most wine-bothered whiskies.

Foursquare Redoubtable (61%; ex-bourbon and madeira casks; from a bottle split)

Nose: Rich with a mix of rummy and winey notes. As it sits the wine seems to trump the rum and there’s more leather and spicy wood. Begins to soften as it sits and there’s toffee and caramel and the whole gets sweeter. Rummier with water; the caramel darkens a bit, the toffee expands and there’s a bit of maple syrup too. A bit more water and it gets a bit dusty but also develops some orange peel.

Palate: Leads with the oaky bite but then turns quite sweet as I swallow. Drinkable at full strength but rather hot. Unlike on the nose, the rum notes get stronger here with each sip—mostly on molasses and light caramel with some cinnamon mixed in. With more time and air still there are more herbal notes along with some aniseed. Okay, let’s add some water. More caramel here too now but also more spicy oak.

Finish: Medium. Not much here at first as the sweet notes give way to dusty oak and alcohol. Develops as on the palate. Much longer and generally as on the palate with water: which is to say it’s oak spice that dominates and lingers.

Comments: This is pleasant enough but I have to say it’s not very interesting. The rum holds up to the madeira better than many more delicate single malt distillates would but it generally ends up in an easy drinking mean. That’s fine in its place but this one I’m not regretting not having purchased a bottle of.

Rating: 85 points.