Habitation Velier Foursquare 2013.  No what other pairing in the rum world could you possibly think of that would be a virtual guarantee of a quality rum experience?

In amongst the sensation that was caused by the pairing of Velier and Foursquare with the 2006 release in 2016, where a number of bottlings released undeer the Habitation Velier moniker.

Habitation Velier’s tagline is “The House of Pure Single Rums”.  Recently when I have been reviewing Foursquare rums I have been struggling to think of anything new and interesting to say.  Not so with this release.

You want information straight from the horses mouth? Habitation Velier is the place to go. Just about every conceivable question you may have about the actual contents of the bottle are explained on either the bottle of the cardboard box which houses the rum.

Before I move onto those details I’ll give a bit of detail about the presentation.  First up we have a departure from the usual Velier bottles.  It is still opaque but it is more of a 3/4 flash style rather than a more traditional red wine style bottle.  The bottle is housed in a very solid cardboard box and you get a very nice cork stopper.  The presentation for the Habitation Velier Foursquare is great and immediately you realise that the production method is very important with these bottlings.

With the Habitation Velier Foursquare 2013 Luca and Richard want you to know and understand how the rum is produced.  The main picture is of a Double Retort Pot Still.

If you can still find a bottle of this rum in the UK then it will set you back around £75-85 for a 70cl bottle.  As so much information is available on the bottle and box I will run you through all that now………

Barbados Pure Single Rum – Very Rare Pot Still rum aged in ex-cognac casks

100% Pot Still Distillation

Distilled: 2013 Bottled : 2015 Aged : 2 yo

Aged in the Tropics/Angel Share 15%

Sugar Free, Natural Colour, Unchillfiltered, Barrel proof

64% vol.

This is a rum distilled entirely in the pot still built by Green Engineering and Forsyths.

Pure Single Rum = Run Distilled from a unique pot still

Pretty comprehensive I’m sure you will agree and it certainly makes my job a lot easier!

I think we have enough information on the rum now so we may as well start the fun part…..

In the glass despite the rum being only 2 years old it is a very vivid reddish/brown.  Bearing in mind all the information given regarding this rum I can only conclude that the colour is due to ageing in the cognac casks.

The nose is full and quite aggressive.  It has a fieryness to it.  Reminiscent in many ways of overproof Demerara rums such as Pussers or Lemon hart.  It’s big, rich, full and fruity.  Notes of dark dried fruits such as raisins and currants.  Vibrant red berries such as raspberries.  Running across all this is a rich caramel/toffee.  It really doesn’t have full on alcohol aromas that I might expect from such a young spirit at such a high proof.  Nor does it have any noticeable oak or spicy bourbon like notes.

What I am sensing here is something very different.  Over the past couple of years Richard Seale Master Distiller at Foursquare has been producing some of the best and most daring rums that the world has ever seen.  This is perhaps the most “out there” product to date..

Sipped at 61% is where you first realise that you are perhaps drinking a rum which has not been extensively aged.  It’s very spicy and you do get quite a lot of strong alcohol heat.  it’s a real mouth tingler.  Despite this you can still taste the fruity flavours that were promised on the nose.  There is a sweetness but there is also a very strong red wine note.  This is quite bitter but it also introduces for the first time some oaked notes.

A few drops of water are definitely recommended with this one.  Bringing the rum down to a more recognisable drinking strength certainly helps identify more of the complexities in this rum.

In many ways its very much a little brother to the Foursquare 2006.  It’s a very rich, very flavourful rum.  The age of the rum means it carries forward a lot of sweetness.  It has a really nice smokey finish which definitely leaves you wanting more.

I wouldn’t say it is as balanced as other offerings from Foursquare.  Not what I would term easy drinking.  It’s definitely not a light rum.  More a powerful flavour bomb of a rum which carries a lot of what I term as menace.  There is no mistaking you are drinking rum.  Rummy rum.

It’s very much in the vein of the Velier Demerara’s – rich, bold, tropically aged flavours that offer a burst of flavour which carries through to a very long and satisfying finish.  I’d be very interested to try this product at 5 or 8 years of age.

As with most of the Habitation Velier releases it is quite experimental and different even to your “normal” Foursquare.  It won’t be a rum for everyone.  Having said that this rum makes a fantastic rum and coke and could also be put to good use in cocktails.  It’s just a rather expensive way to make a cocktail.

I’ve really enjoyed this and I hope that these type of rums continue to be released.  I feel this has been slightly overlooked after all the hype over the 2006.  I would urge you to find a bottle as there are still plenty floating around especially in Europe.