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Goslings Black Seal Rum 70cl. ABV 40% Alcohol-Premium Dark Rum from Bermuda.

£14.555£29.11Clearance
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As with the Doorly’s XO (which is brilliant as a mixer as well) and Rum Sixty Six this represents Bajan rum production at its very best. Crisp, clean, slightly dry, well aged and blended. Classic rum produced by someone with a genuine love of rum. Alcohol abuse can lead to a number of health issues and public policy requires advice on alcoholic drink labelling to help people understand the perils of alcohol abuse. Allergy declarations (See EU FIC regulations) NB Licorice is an allergen for alcoholic labelling purposes)

We have reviewed R.L. Seale’s Finest Barbados Rum in the past. As if Foursquare haven’t been releasing enough rum over the past couple of years Richard Seale also felt it was high time their “flagship” (you could argue the case for Doorly’s as well) rum received a bit of an update. So what we got was a red label on the bottle indicating this is now “Export Proof 46% ALC/VOL”. The previous incarnation was a not to shabby 43% ABV. Much the same as the equally iconic Mount Gay Extra Old. Mount Gay haven’t upgraded their offering to date. Luscious aromas of treacle and butter cookie over wet oak precede a slightly musty earthiness and old leather. On the palate, dark banana, burnt sugar and butter notes turn slightly dry at mid palate leading to creamy vanilla and baking spices over big charred wood. Hints of balsamic, dark prune and leather fade slowly in the very long finish. Geographic Distribution Surprisingly, given the number of different brands of rum produced at Four Square, there is only one type of fermentation using a distiller’s yeast imported from South Africa. The two-step fermentation process is computer temperature controlled and progressed very slowly with the molasses gradually added during the second step over a period lasting twenty hours. It’s synonymous with Bermuda,” says Goslings Rum CEO Malcolm Gosling. Goslings is the island’s oldest business and has been a staple of Bermudian culture since it was founded by James Gosling in 1806.Despite being sat in the middle of a sugar cane plantation , Four Square are forced to import most of their molasses from Guyana. (The sugar cane plantation was separated from the old sugar factory, now the distillery in 1950s with production at the factory ceasing in 1987-89.) Cocoa and milk chocolate, touch of nutmeg and some nice sweet spicy “sour mash” like notes. Whether the extra 3% ABV is really making much of a difference I am not sure to be honest. As mentioned earlier by previous bottles of R.L Seale’s are long gone. Even with the ABV at 46% though it is still very pleasant to nose and you can enjoy doing just that for as long as you can resist trying the liquid. What does a bat have to do with a decades-old Puerto Rican rum, you might be wondering? The story begins in 1862, when Don Facundo Bacardí Massó set up Bacardi’s first distillery in Cuba. It didn’t take long for his wife, Doña Amalia Bacardi, to discover that hundreds of fruit bats, following the sweet smell of molasses, were hiding out in the distillery’s rafters. At one point this 10 year old rum was the oldest expression from the Foursquare Distillery available. With its distinctive old fashioned “flask” (similar to what Pirate/Privateers used in the 17th century) shaped bottle it is a “cult classic” if you like. The fabulous aged Barbados rum in the “wonky” bottle.

It’s likely that this rum has been overlooked a little recently. Obviously as a blogger I want to try and review rums that have been newly released or are getting talked about etc. Things that might interest. Even without a re-imagining of this one with a higher ABV I did feel a re-review was on the cards.

Author Bio

In actuality it ended up mostly as sipping rum and was one of the highlight flavours over Christmas as we did not have much alcohol this season. Around the time Gosling made its entry in the U.S. market, the first female member of the family, seventh generation Nancy Lloyd Gosling, joined the business. Before going to college, she expressed her interest in the family business to her father, Malcolm Gosling, the company's chairman. He urged her to study accounting because the business was in need of a financial person. She then traveled to Canada where she studied accounting at Dalhousie University in Halifax. To gain seasoning she spent three years at Price Waterhouse and then went to work for the American International Insurance Co. Ltd. Offered a promotion 18 months later, she decided to make the transition to Gosling Brothers, rather than make a further commitment to American International. She started out as assistant treasurer in 1981 and over the next decade worked her way up through the ranks. In 1991 she became the firm's president and chief executive officer. She was especially aggressive in expanding the company's local offerings of beer, wine, and other spirits. The Government recommends including the guideline alcohol consumption to not regularly exceed 2-3 alcohol units per day for women and 3-4 units per day for men. Alternatively, 14 units per week for women and 21 units per week for men. There is also a move to recommend only 14 units per week for men rather than 21 units per week. R.L. Seale’s Finest Barbados Rum. Perhaps the most iconic and historically the most recognised product from the Foursquare Distillery. Especially amongst its longer aged rums.

In the glass R.L Seale’s 10 Year Old is a vibrant golden to dark brown colour with an orange tinge.Barrel 1 will be distributed in Bermuda. Barrel 2 will go to Total Wine in Florida. Barrel 3 goes to ABC Wine & Spirits in Florida. Barrel 4 is for Crown Wine and Spirits in Florida. Barrel 5 is reserved for NH Liquor & Wine Outlets in New Hampshire. Barrel 6 goes to Blanchards Wines & Spirits in Massachusetts. Barrel 7 is for Total Wine and Spec’s in Texas. Barrel 9 goes to Bourbon Street Wine and Spirits, Phillipsburg, NJ. Barrel 10 will be sent to various retailers in New York State. Barrel 11 goes to PLCB Fine Wine and Good Spirits in Pennsylvania. Barrel 12 is reserved for Wally’s in Los Angeles, CA. The final destination of Barrel 8 is yet to be determined. The Goslings Legacy Rum had always suffered from an image in the minds of many consumers as a second class spirit. While vodka made great strides in the 1990s when a number of super-premium brands were introduced to the market, rum continued to be neglected. All that would begin to change at the end of the 20th century. Customers were looking for something different, and interest began to build in the aged rum and premium rum category. To take advantage of this growing interest, Gosling took a number of steps to better position itself as a premiere name in the world market for rum. Goslings Rums, imported and distributed by Castle Brands, are available in all 50 states as well as North American and European Duty Free, the Caribbean, Canada, Australia, and most European markets.

At this stage it is worth noting that the rum in Foursquare’s considerable arsenal is not merely a more aged expression of the younger sibling (Doorly’s and Doorly’s XO aside). For those expecting a more aged version of Doorly’s you may find yourself a tiny little bit disappointed (I doubt that will last long). This rum is very different to the fruity Oloroso Sherry Cask influenced blend found in Doorly’s XO. For those who aren’t aware R L Seale’s 10 Year Old Rum is produced by Richard Seale at the wonderful Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. Richard is the great-grandson of Reginald Leon Seale who founded the company in 1926.Nosing reveals typical Bajan and Foursquare aroma’s. Vanilla, touches of caramel and some really well integrated notes of oak and bourbon like spice. It isn’t as “in your face” as some of the recent higher ABV releases but it is very pleasant and approachable. Such meticulous attention to detail is reminiscent of many of the more recent Central American producers (think Dictador or La Hechicera). However, such presentation is nothing new to Foursquare. They have been presenting rum in such a way that it practically jumps of the shelf at you for years.

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