Velier 12 year old Foursquare 2013 Barbados Pure Single Rum 60%

Some bottles are finished when the calendar says so. Others get to wait. Foursquare 2013 is one that waited — ten years longer than anyone expected, in the Barbados heat, where more than half of what went into the cask has long since evaporated up through the wood and out into the tropical air.

Expert's Description

Foursquare 2013 12 Year is a Barbados Pure Single Rum, distilled 100% in a pot still and bottled at 60%. The story starts in 2015, when Habitation Velier and Foursquare's distiller Richard Seale released the very first Foursquare Pure Single Rum onto the market — just two years old at the time. This bottle is the same project, ten tropical years later. Instead of dumping the casks in 2015, they were left to keep resting, and the result is a rum that has lost more than 60% of its volume to the angels along the way. It is a radically different story from the young 2015 release — more wood, more time, more concentration.

The rum was distilled on Foursquare's double retort pot still, built by Green Engineering and Forsyths, and has spent its entire life in 370-litre ex-cognac casks in Barbados' tropical climate. That is the same philosophy that makes Habitation Velier one of the most respected names in rum: no sugar, no colouring, no dilution. Just time, wood, and an island climate that works faster than any European warehouse ever could.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma is complex and a little wild at the edges — ripe tropical fruit mingles with spice and a touch of something medicinal, almost camphor-like. Underneath sits a deep, woody scent from the cognac casks, along with a faint lactic freshness that keeps the whole thing from turning heavy.

Palate

On the palate it is intense and spicy, with traces of flowers and a warm, woody core. The cognac casks have given it a slightly tart edge that plays against the fruit.

Finish

Long and woody, where the medicinal and spicy notes linger, and that same lactic freshness reappears right at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Foursquare 2013 12 Year
Distillery: Foursquare Distillery
Bottler: Habitation Velier
Region/Country: Barbados
Type: Barbados Pure Single Rum
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 60%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Ex-Cognac Casks (370 Litre)
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: 100% Pot Still
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2026
EAN No.: 3700597368749

Distillery: Foursquare Distillery
Bottler: Habitation Velier

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spicy · Floral · Medicinal · Woody

Investment Potential

High. The casks behind this bottle are the same ones behind the legendary first Foursquare Pure Single Rum from 2015 — now ten years older, with a loss of over 60% to the angels. It is a historic restart of one of rum's most talked-about collaborations, and the quantity is inevitably small.

Did You Know?

The term Pure Single Rum is not an official classification at all. It was coined by Luca Gargano of Velier together with Richard Seale, specifically to describe rums like this one: distilled on a single pot still, at a single distillery, with nothing added.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Foursquare 2013 12 Year

What makes Foursquare 2013 12 Year special?

It is a restart of a historic project. The casks come from the very first Foursquare Pure Single Rum collaboration between Habitation Velier and distiller Richard Seale in 2015 — but instead of being bottled then, they were left to rest for ten more tropical years. The result is a far more concentrated rum than the original, having lost over 60% to evaporation along the way.

Is it worth the money?

Its rarity makes it an obvious pick for collectors. The casks behind it are already part of rum history, and the extremely high evaporation loss means there will never be much more of this exact bottle.

What is a Pure Single Rum?

It is a classification coined by Velier's Luca Gargano together with Richard Seale of Foursquare. It covers rum distilled on a single pot still, at a single distillery, without blending in column-still distillate and without any additives.

How should Foursquare 2013 12 Year be served?

Serve it at room temperature in a small, tulip-shaped glass, ideally with a few drops of water to open up the aromas. Ice is not recommended for a rum of this age and strength — it closes off too much of the complexity.

Why has it lost so much of its volume?

Barbados' hot, humid climate means rum matures far faster than it would in, say, Scotland, but that speed comes at a cost in volume. Over 60% of the original contents of the casks evaporated over the 12 years, an unusually high share even for tropically aged rum.

What defines the Foursquare distillery?

Foursquare is located in St. Philip, Barbados, and is run by Richard Seale, fourth generation of the Seale family. The distillery is known for distilling, ageing and bottling everything itself — without ever reaching for sugar, colouring or artificial flavour in its rum.