Rum is definitely on the rise, and the most exciting part of this current rum renaissance is the growing premium rum category.

Rum drinkers have been able to enjoy constant releases of premium and premium-plus rums over the last few years.

Appleton Estate released their 50 year old Jamaica Independence Reserve Rum in 2012 to mark half a century of Jamaican Independence.

Mount Gay Distilleries celebrated Fifty Years of Barbadian Independence in 2016 with a limited edition cask strength version of Mount Gay XO.

Demerara Distillers released several limited editions of El Dorado 15 Year Old Rum that used rum seasoned in various wine casks after the fifteen year maturation period in bourbon barrels. The wine casks used for these limited edition bottles previously held wines like Sauternes, Madeira and Port.

Angostura also used Port casks for their second Angostura No 1 release, and they added another rum to their line-up, Angostura 1787; a fifteen year old rum that commemorates the installation of the first sugar mill in Trinidad, at the Lapeyrouse sugar plantation.

The Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados also released several limited edition rums in the last few years.

The range of premium rums produced at Foursquare is already vast with several rums that are matured for over eight years including Doorly’s XO, Doorly’s 12 Year Old, RL Seale 10 Year Old Rum, and Old Brigand Black Label.

Their limited edition “Exceptional Cask Selections” consists of several aged rums that were either bottled at cask strength or allowed to mature in a unique cask. The Foursquare Zinfandel Cask and Foursquare Port Cask are both named for the types of casks used, while the cask-strength Foursquare 2004 is named for the year that the rum was distilled.

The critically-acclaimed Criterion includes rum aged in both ex-Bourbon and ex-Madeira casks before being bottled as cask strength.

Foursquare also did a collaboration with Italian Independent Bottler Velier in 2017 that set a new standard for premium rum; Triptych – A blend of three rums (twelve years in ex-Bourbon barrels, eleven years in ex-Madeira barrels, nine years in ‘virgin’ barrels)

Foursquare started off 2018 by announcing on their facebook page some of their planned releases for the year;

Doorly’s Rum

Limited Edition Doorly’s XO bottled at 46% – Doorly’s XO is matured in both Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Casks.

Limited Release Doorly’s 14 Year Old Rum in a special package – The oldest Doorly’s Rum right now is the Doorly’s 12 Year Old.

Foursquare Exceptional Cask Collection

Foursquare Dominus – Rum bottled at 56%

Foursquare Premise – Rum bottled at at 46%

Foursquare 2005 – Cask strength rum bottled at 59% that will replace Foursquare 2004.

Foursquare & Velier Collaborations

Principia – three years in ex-Bourbon, six years in Sherry casks and bottled at 62%.

Destino – fourteen years in Bourbon barrels and bottled at 61%.

Veritas/Probitas – a white rum collaboration between Velier, Hampden and Foursquare. A blend of Hampden and Foursquare rum from both pot stills and column stills that will be mostly un-aged and released at 47%.

It will be called ‘Veritas’ (the truth) in Europe and imported through Velier.

In the US, it will be called ‘Probitas’ (honesty) and imported through Altamar Brands.

From the rear label; Foursquare Veritas is a blend of white rums from the Traditional Coffey Column of Foursquare in Barbados and the Double Retort Pot Still of Hampden in Jamaica. Unsullied by sophistic dosage. Only impeccably distilled and blended Rum for all aspiring cocktail craftsmen.