Equidem

Exceptional Cask Selection
Mark XXVII Equidem

Foursquare Equidem is a 14 year pot and column blend. It spent 5 years in ex bourbon cask and 9 years in ex black muscat. Bottled at 61%.

Nosing

Leather is strong, tobacco is strong => two things I like very much. Dark cherry, faint cane juice vibe, oak, coconut, hay, dried flowers, light coconut/vanilla dessert, light crayon, sweet red fruits, light caramel.

Tasting

Texture is thick and luscious, I almost want to bite it. There’s some red wine coming through, which I didn’t get on the nose. I might have been mixing that up with the red fruits. Black pepper, oak, strong coconut, strong tobacco, milk chocolate, leathery. The finish is long, peppery, fruity and has just enough oak to be pleasing without turning bitter. Actually, there is no bitterness at all. You get a burst of sweetness at the end. Hallelujah! Drinks well below its abv. Some of that cane juice vibe comes through, but not as obvious as on the nose.

Conclusion

Richard mentioned to me that there is no cane juice rum in Equidem. So where I’m getting that vibe from is unclear. Thing is, today there are so many different varieties of cane juice rums on the planet with vastly different flavour profiles. So it’s hard to nail down anyway. But for me it does have something grassy and earthy to it, albeit very mild.

I was so impressed by this rum that I pulled Foursquare Criterion, Triptych and Absolutio out of my cabinet to compare. Surely Equidem can’t be as good as these three. What a great exercise this was! After sipping Criterion and going back to Equidem, I got that cane juice feel again. Equidem is more complex, more powerful and has a longer finish. However, Criterion is so brilliant in its simplicity. Perfect balance, wonderful flavour profile. I instantly said OMG! when I took the first sip. So sweet and thick…..it’s rum heaven. That age and abv seem to be ideal.

Notes from @rumrevelations