The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition. Yet another rum up for review from the prolific Foursquare Rum Distillery, Barbados. This rum has been “around” for quite some time I first tasted it at the Boutique Rum Festival in London in October 2016. And then I waited………

And waited some more………

Sadly, despite what I was told at the time of tasting it, The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition, never made it to our shores here in the UK. Nor was it found much in Europe. It was first released in the US and has stayed there.

I was finally able to taste the rum again by way of a Twitter Tasting kit I was sent amongst other The Real McCoy rums.

With the sheer amount of rums Foursquare have released over the past few years you may (if you are in the US) still find a bottle of this 2016 release. If you shop around. The Real McCoy are an independent company who distribute and promote the rum. It is however, produced and bottled by Foursquare. It’s not an “official” Foursquare release but there is more control over this product, than say, the independent bottlings that are partly Continental (European) aged.

The rear label of the bottle tells us that this rum was a “small batch” of 500 cases. If I am right and a case is 6 bottles then there will have been 3,000 bottles of this rum available. Please correct me if I am wrong.

So what distinguishes this Limited Edition rum from the standard The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years? Lets find out.

Both the regular and Limited Edition The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years, are a blend of Pot and Column still rum. The original 12 was released at 40% ABV. This Limited Edition takes it up a notch or two at 46% ABV. The original 12 is aged entirely in ex-bourbon. The Limited Edition release is a mix of rum aged solely in ex-Bourbon Barrels around 90% with 10% aged entirely in ex-Madeira casks.

In the glass the rum is a vivid golden brown with orange flashes.

The nose is encouragingly familiar. Traditional Foursquare like aromas. Vanilla, coconut, caramel, toffee and some sweet stoned fruits all come to the fore in a very nicely balanced, slightly floral nose.

The Madeira case ageing has added a subtle sweetness to the rum’s nose. Adding notes similar to those found in the Port and Zinfandel cask ECS rums. Red wine, strawberries, almost sherry like notes. Rather than compete with the more traditional Foursquare notes they work in harmony alongside them, to give an excellent balance on the nose.

Like Port and Zinfandel cask it is a rum you could nose for hours.

Sipping The Real McCoy Limited Edition is quite a woody, oaked affair. Like the Real McCoy 12 Year Old, it is produced using charred barrels and this really shines through to the sip. You don’t get as much of the sweetness as on the nose. Especially not in the first few sips.

It has real zestiness to it and a lot of spiciness going on in the mid palate. Ginger and white pepper combine with a real chunk of oak. Some quite fat tannin like notes, add a slight bitterness making it a little tart. Especially on the finish. Which is long, full of lemon and lime zest, alongside more charred oak and wood influences.

Further sips and you begin to appreciate the richness of the Madeira cask maturation. Once the spiciness subsides a little you begin to appreciate the influence of the casks more. Rich warming notes of plums and red wine shine on the initial delivery and mid palate. Fading only into the zesty and spicy finish which is long and very enjoyable.

The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition is another really great rum from Foursquare. One I wish I could get a full bottle of.