Doorly's : 12 Year

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Doorly's 12 Years Old

Tasting

Nose

The bouquet opens with generous notes of salted butter caramel and burnt sugar, accompanied by a gentle citrus touch dominated by orange. With aeration, aromas of still‑green cherries, pomegranate, cinnamon, and nutmeg emerge, followed gradually by vanilla and light toffee. The influence of the Madeira casks stands out through fruity nuances of banana and dried fruits. The oak, well integrated, remains present throughout without ever dominating.

Palate

The attack is marked by brown sugar sweetness and a peppery spicy hint, quickly followed by dry woody flavors and a pleasant warmth. The texture reveals itself as creamy and smooth, evoking butterscotch, with pronounced notes of chocolate, toffee, and well-integrated oak. The profile evolves toward caramel, vanilla, a saline touch, then nuances of banana, salted butter, and baking spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The finish, beautifully long, lingers on oak, a slight smoky note, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, leaving a warm and enveloping sensation.

Pairings and Tasting Occasions

This rum is best enjoyed neat at room temperature, or with a single ice cube allowing gradual dilution that reveals new aromatic facets. It excels as an aperitif, where its spicy complexity and fruity freshness stimulate the palate, as well as a digestif, offering a comforting warmth and a satisfying finish. Its woody and spicy profile naturally lends itself to a contemplative tasting experience.

A refined and complex rum from Barbados, born of the expertise of Foursquare

Doorly's: heritage and excellence of Barbadian rum

The Doorly's brand traces its origins back to 1908 when Martin Doorly founded his company and created the first Barbadian rum exported in bottles rather than barrels. In 1993, R.L. Seale & Co. — a family house founded in 1926 by Reginald Leon Seale — acquired the brand and integrated it into its Foursquare distillery, established in 1995–1996 in the parish of Saint Philip. Now led by Richard Seale, fourth generation of the family and master distiller, this 100% Barbadian family business combines tradition and innovation. Awarded the trophy for Best Rum Producer at the IWSC 2024, Foursquare stands out for its absolute transparency — no added sugar or additives — its exemplary environmental commitment, and its determination to elevate Barbados rum to the rank of the world’s greatest spirits.

12 Years Old: an amber rum matured in double cask

This 12‑year‑old amber rum is produced from molasses, according to local tradition. It results from the blending of distillates from two types of stills: a double-retort copper pot still designed according to principles of materials science, and a vacuum-operated Coffey column still allowing low-temperature distillation that preserves the finesse of the aromas. Fermentation, conducted with a proprietary yeast strain of South African origin, lasts twenty hours under computerized temperature control.

The blending of pot still and column distillates is carried out before cask filling, encouraging deep integration of the components throughout maturation. This rum from Barbados is then aged for twelve years: 90% of the blend rests in ex-bourbon casks, while 10% matures in ex-Madeira casks, bringing distinctive notes of fortified wine and dried fruits. After the final blend, the rum benefits from a marrying period before bottling at 43% vol.