Foursquare Epilogue
Introduction
Foursquare Epilogue. The final chapter in the long running Exceptional Cask Series. The series that has kept rum fans arguing, collecting, flipping and occasionally drinking for more than a decade.
Epilogue is release number thirty one which closes the book after Penultimus hinted that the end was coming. Unlike some of the more cryptic ECS titles where you have to pretend you knew the meaning all along……..Epilogue is refreshingly straightforward. Even I did not need to consult Google for this one.
The ECS has always been about showcasing the breadth of Foursquare’s maturation experiments. Ex-Bourbon, Sherry, Port, Zinfandel, Madeira and Cognac have all put in an appearance. Epilogue is in keeping with the age statement themed entries in the series. So we don’t have anything other than ex-Bourbon casks in play today.
Epilogue is a blend of Pot and Column distillates. As usual ageing is entirely tropical. To age a rum from nineteen years in a Tropical climate is an accountants nightmare. The Angels Share for a bottling such as this – is frightening.
Despite the ECS ending, Foursquare are not running out of barrels or ideas. With somewhere around fifty thousand casks quietly ageing away you can safely assume there will be further Limited Editions for our enjoyment. To bow out at this stage would be madness for Foursquare! It’s unlikely they have ever been as popular.
Presentation is the familiar stubby ECS bottle with rounded shoulders short neck and sensible factual label. If you have seen one you have seen them all. Retail for a 70cl bottle coming in at 57% ABV is around £100.
Tasting
Pouring Foursquare Epilogue into the glass, the first thing that strikes you is the colour. It’s a deep mahogany. Emphasising the nineteen years it has spent maturing in the tropical heat.
On the nose, it is immediately recognisable as Foursquare but with a certain depth and maturity that younger releases, just don’t quite possess. It isn’t a fruit bomb, it’s much more oak driven than some of the fruitier ECS releases.
You get that signature Foursquare aroma but the fruiter notes the orange and grapefruit are deeper in the mix. Coconut is there a little but its the Oak, Leather and Tobacco notes that are the star of the show.
It’s dry, dusty, and screams “proper aged rum” before you’ve even had a chance to take a sip.
At 57% ABV, you might expect a bit of a kick but the Epilogue is really quite mellow. The alcohol is very, very well integrated. It coats the palate with an almost chewy texture that reminds me of those old Velier Demerara’s.
The entry is dominated by a rich, dark toffee, a touch of orange peel/marmalade and some intense spicy oak notes. As you hold the spirit in your mouth, the warmth settles, giving way to an incredible structural complexity.
On the mid palate the initial hit of toffee and orange peel mellows into something more savoury. You get a distinct note of roasted hazelnuts and a hint of cracked black pepper, Behind this, there is a persistent, underlying fruitiness. Dried Sultanas and Blackberries rather than the fresh tropical notes of younger expressions such as Doorly’s XO.
It is balanced perfectly by a surge of clove and cinnamon bark that builds intensity without ever becoming aggressive.
If the hallmark of a great Foursquare ECS is the finish, Epilogue does not disappoint. It is incredibly long, dry, and remarkably clean.
As the spice subsides, the finish leans heavily into a dry, leathery tobacco note. Even minutes after the sip, you are left with a warming hit of dark cocoa powder. The dryness is intentional, leaving the palate clean and begging for the next drop. It is dry Blackberry heavy finish which will likely last as long as you can hold out for the next sip.
Verdict
Overall Foursquare Epilogue is exactly what you would expect from a distillery that has spent the last decade refining its style to the point where things have gradually and quietly just got that little better. The difference between this and the earlier 2004-2008 ex-bourbon releases is a more concentrated, more intense experience.
It is not the wildest or most experimental ECS release. It does not reinvent anything. It doesn’t need to. For people who have followed the ECS through its journey it highlights the progress made.
Even releasing a rum at “Cask Strength” was a risky practice for an Official Bottling back in late 2010’s.
46% ABV was as high as most OB’s would go. Even many Indies wouldn’t punch above that! Some still don’t.
It is balanced, beautifully well constructed and very, very drinkable.
Which is how rum should be judged not by gimmicks not by pirate stories and definitely not by whatever nonsense passes for luxury rum marketing these days.
It feels like one of those bottles that will quietly grow and grow on you the more time you spend with it. You’ll love it from the start but you’ll find yourself returning to it with excitement.
As a final chapter Epilogue feels appropriate. Not flashy not showy not trying to be the grand finale. Just an exceptionally well made and well managed rum that closes the ECS book with confidence.
Final Thoughts: A sad day to see the final Exceptional Cask Series but a more than fitting Epilogue.