As the world’s biggest, longest running and most influential International Wine and Spirits Competition, the prestigious IWSC Awards are deemed to represent the highest accolade that can be bestowed on any distiller by industry peers. In 2024, the Rum Category attracted an extraordinarily high number of premium quality entries from around the world. And yet, in a year of so many outstanding rums, it was a Barbadian Rum – Equipoise – from R.L. Seale’s Foursquare Distillery that outshone them all by scoring a remarkable 99 points out of 100.
In keeping with its sophisticated name, Equipoise is a well-balanced blend of molasses based rums distilled in a copper double retort pot still and a continuous twin column still, aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon and ex-calvados casks, then bottled without any additives.
As reported by IWSC: “Having retasted many gold and gold outstanding award-winning rums, our judges unanimously selected R. L. Seale Foursquare Distillery’s 14-year-old Equipoise Rum as the Rum Trophy Winner.”
This stellar achievement is a great endorsement of Barbados, Barbadian Rum and Foursquare Distillery. For Richard Seale, Foursquare’s forward thinking CEO and Master Distiller, it is an emphatic vindication of his innovative approach and commitment to producing super-premium rums. Founded in 1926, R L Seale & Company Limited is a fourth generation, 100% Barbadian family-owned business whose flagship operation is the Foursquare Rum Distillery, which opened in 1996 on the site of a former sugar plantation in St. Philip. Since taking over leadership from his father and current Chairman, Sir David Seale, Richard has elevated the company to being one of the world’s most successful independent rum producers. While remaining a small player in terms of the overall global market, by specializing in premium quality artisanal rums rather than high volume products, Foursquare Distillery has established a gilded reputation for the integrity of its brand and the superior standards of its products.
Predominantly known in former years for its classic labels – the ever popular Doorly’s, Old Brigand and E.S.A. Field – Foursquare has more recently earned high regard amongst international rum connoisseurs for the outstanding quality of its limited release Exceptional Cask Selections – with the award-winning Equipoise being one of the very best.
Richard Seale has set himself the goal of raising the global appreciation of Barbados Rum to match that of the finest French Cognac and single-malt Scotch Whisky. While you are in Barbados, you have a golden opportunity to test, taste and enjoy some of the world’s finest rums at the local price. Ask for one of the Foursquare labels by name. You might even take some home.
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