R.L. Seale’s 12 Year Old
ABV: 46%
Country: Barbados
Age: 12 years
Cask: ex-Bourbon barrels
Still: Pot & Column
Price: $60 (not available in the UK)
Distillery: Foursquare Distillery
R.L. Seale’s 12 Year Old is a standout Barbados rum crafted at the award-winning Foursquare Distillery, led by master distiller Richard Seale. This US-market release is tropically aged entirely in ex-bourbon casks and is aged for 12 years – unlike the UK-market release which is 10 years. The very quirky bottle stands out on the shelves so I’m very happy to have a bottle in my rum collection.
Nose
This has heaps of wood with a complimentary mix of vanilla, cinnamon and pepper that all sit underneath a very classic Barbados profile of tropical fruit (pineapple!). There is also a damp/musky note like cherries and cardboard.
Palate
Dark roasted espresso, sultanas, cherries, chocolate cake with a rich ganache. Despite a pretty heavy wood influence this has next to no pepper; instead offering a great supporting balance and baking spice flavour. On the finish there is fresh mint (tingly), peaches and vanilla – medium/long finish.
9/10 – Great balance and complexity in a standout bottle.
My scoring system, explained
- 10: Exceptional. This is best in class and a firm favourite of mine.
- 9: Outstanding. Near perfection, a bottle I would be sad to finish (and very happy to restock!)
- 8: Excellent. An evening spent sipping this would be a very good one.
- 7: Great. Add to cart, no questions asked.
- 6: Very good. At the right price I would definitely buy a bottle.
- 5: Good. If someone poured me a glass you wouldn’t hear me complain.
- 4: Above average. Not quite good but better than some.
- 3: Average. Average at best, this isn’t offensive but equally not exciting either.
- 2: Not for me. This simply means it’s not a profile I find enjoyable; rather than a reflection of quality.
- 1: Not the spirit. This is a poor representation of the spirit.
