DSR – OTH – 003: Foursquare Mandamus Single Blended Rum
Company/Distillery: Foursqure Rum Distillery
Location: Saint Philip, Barbados
Mash Bill: 100% Molasses
Age Statement: 16 Years
Proof/ABV: 114 Proof/57% ABV
Color & Viscosity: In the bottle, Mandamus shows a deep old oak color. In the glass, it leans auburn to mahogany and looks rich right away. A swirl produces a sharp, viscous line that quickly breaks into tiny pinhead dots before forming slow, steady legs. This one has some weight to it.
Purchase Price: 750 ML Bottle for $90 at the Distillery
Bottle Label Information:
Front Label
FOURSQUARE
MANDAMUS
SINGLE BLENDED RUM
FINE BARBADOS RUM
EXCEPTIONAL CASK SELECTION MARK XXIX
CASK TYPE: Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Port
CASKING AGE: 16 Years
DISTILLATION: Pot & Column Blend
RELEASED: April 2025
Distilled and matured at Foursquare Rum Distillery
Back Label
MANDAMUS
“We command”
A blend of rums distilled in the copper double retort pot still and the continuous twin column still of Foursquare and aged for 16 years in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Port casks.
Non-Chill Filtered – Some cloudiness may occur
Distillery Background
Foursquare Rum Distillery
The Foursquare Distillery, located in St. Philip, Barbados, was founded in 1996 by the Seale Family. The distillery is currently located on a historic sugar plantation that dates back to around 1720. The distillery is operated by fourth-generation rum producer, Richard Seale (R.L. Seale & Co.). Seale brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and commitment to the traditions of Barbadian rum making. Foursquare Distillery uses traditional methods of production by distillation in both pot (classic double retort) and column stills. Foursquare rums are produced using both molasses and sugar cane juice blends as the base. The decision to use sugar juice was an innovation to sustain sugar cane growing in Barbados.
Foursqure offers many different cask finished rums including ex-bourbon, sherry, and wine casks.
Foursquare Mandamus Mark XXIX Single Blended Rum
Foursquare’s Mandamus Single Blended Rum is aged, blended, and bottled on-site at Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados. This expression, meaning “We Command”, is distilled using both the copper double-retort pot still and continuous twin column coffey still. Aged for 16 years, this rum spent the first 10 years aging in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred over for 6 more years in ex-port pipes. Foursquare Mark XXIX “Mandamus” Single Blended Rum is bottled at 57% ABV or 114 proof. This rum uses no color, sugar, or flavor additives. The result is an exceptional rich deep flavor profile.
Tasting Notes
Tasting Date/Vessel: February 2026; Glencairn Glasses
Nose
Christian: In my Glencarin glass, Foursquare Mandamus Single Blended Rum offers a burst of rich, sweet flavors. I’m picking up on a decadent blend of molasses, brown sugar, burnt sugar, oak char and vanilla bean. A gentle swirl causes the ethanol to rise out of the glass. A nice hint from the bourbon cask’s influence is noticeable before a slight note of port wine in the form of dark fruits arrive.
Mike: Right out of the bottle, there’s a quick hit of ethanol, almost like rubbing alcohol, but it fades and turns into raw sugar cane. This is where the pour really begins to stand out. That note immediately takes me back to a trip to Barbados when I was a kid. My paternal grandmother was born and raised there, and we were visiting family when one of my relatives took us out to a sugar cane field, cut a fresh stalk, and told us to chew on it. That exact fresh, slightly grassy, sweetness shows up here.
Coming back to it, the nose starts to open up in the form of vanilla bean, a richer syrupy sweetness is present now. In the glass, it settles into light ethanol up front, then moves into banana, caramel, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Giving it a swirl allows the port influence to show up with the darker fruit notes rounding everything out.
Mouth
Christian: On the palate, this rum from Foursquare is full-bodied. You quickly feel an oily viscous coating on the roof of your mouth and tongue. I first notice the influence of the port on my tongue. It is sweet but robust with a sweet dark grape note. From there, the molasses really takes over–generous notes of charred oak barrel, leather, orange peel, and simple syrup. I love the additional layer of flavor the port brings to this tasting. As I continue to sip, I taste a hint of saltiness – like what I imagine the air around Barbados must be like.
Mike: The first sip comes in strong with a punch of flavor. There’s a bold cinnamon note up front, very much like Big Red gum, then it shifts into fig and chocolate. It reminds me a bit of our first barrel pick of Ragged Branch wheated bourbon with those same Big Red chewing gum, fig, and chocolate notes, just not quite as rich overall. Mid-palate, a deeper molasses sweetness starts to build. As it sits, the port influence shows up, helping smooth things out and tie everything together.
Finish
Christian: This finish leaves no doubt that we are drinking a rum at 114 proof. The finish is large and in charge. There’s a big punch in the throat, but it quickly dissipates. Lots of cinnamon in the back end with just a tinge of molasses sweetness to round it out. As you sit and let the flavors develop, the port wine springs out. It almost takes on the flavor profile of a fresh grape juice.
Mike: Wow, now that’s what I call a long finish! The spice and darker fruit hang around for a bit before easing off. There’s a steady warmth with a lingering sweetness that sticks around just enough to keep you going back for another sip.
Our Rating
4.25/5.0 Rickhouses – “Make it a Double!”
Final Thoughts
Christian: I have been impressed by both Foursquare Rums I have tried. I have begun to broaden my horizons and I officially consider myself to be “rum curious.” The Mandamus Single Blended Rum is a sweet sipping experience that offers layer upon layer of flavors. You get the typical molasses sweetness added to nice rich flavors that remind me of a dessert. I really enjoy the influence of both the ex-bourbon barrel and ex-port barrel casks on this rum. I get the bold oak and dark burnt sugars of bourbon with the sweet yet subtle grape and dark fruit flavors. Where this rum gets me is in the finish. It drinks hotter than 114 and likely would run some folks away. I am ready for my next Foursquare offering to try!! Cheers!
Rating: 4.25 Rickhouses
Mike: This is only our second bottle from Foursquare Rum Distillery, but it continues to back up everything we’ve heard about the brand. The first one we had, unfortunately never reviewed, was phenomenal, and this one doesn’t miss the mark either.
The ex-bourbon and ex-port cask combination gives it a nice mix of traditional rum notes with a little added depth from the fruit and spice. What stands out most is how it transitions. Nothing feels out of place, each note builds into the next without anything taking over. And that sugar cane note on the nose really sticks with me. It’s not something you run into every day, and it adds a personal layer that makes this one memorable.
If this is what consistency looks like from Foursquare, I get the hype. This is a flavorful, balanced pour that’s easy to sit with for a while, and definitely has me looking forward to the next bottle.
Rating: 4.25 Rickhouses
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