Barbados
There are 1,022 rums from Barbados in the RumX database.
Show all Barbados rumsBarbados is a 167 square-mile island in the Lesser Antilles and it’s the most easterly in the Caribbean. Spanish conquerors took hold of the island in the 15th century, and it was under Portuguese rule for a while as well. The island was abandoned in 1620 but reclaimed by the British in 1625; they controlled the Caribbean island for the next three hundred years.
The sugarcane arrived on Barbados in 1640, and the island became a sugar and rum powerhouse fuelled by the slave trade, mainly by plantations worked by enslaved Africans. Barbados is the “birthplace of Caribbean rum”, and the style is inherently British.
Four major distilleries call Barbados home: Foursquare, Mount Gay, St. Nicholas Abbey and West Indies Rum Distillery. The rum style is darker and fuller compared to other Caribbean rums, thanks to higher molasses concentration and the use of pot stills. The rum usually ages in ex-Bourbon barrels for long periods, making the style particularly appealing for whiskey drinkers.
Although column stills are now also used by the island’s rum producers, pot stills are still relevant, differentiating this rum style from others. For reference, Barbados rum is more similar to what you’d find in Jamaica than the rum produced in Spanish- and French-style producing countries — it has no added sugar.
Barbadian rum producers are pushing for their own Geographical Indication, standardising and improving the rum quality and international exposure. Still, producers have yet to agree on what Barbados rum should be and how it should be produced and aged. The future is bright, though, for Barbados rum.
Top rated Barbados rums
7784
Top review from Jakob:
"Head-to-head with the Silver Seal and for me a nose ahead - although this can turn out the other way around at the next comparison. Here, too, smoke, honey, fresh fruitiness, plus green notes - the all-round pampering program for aficionados, which makes every tasting a star hour of rum. Always a pleasure!"
3896
Top review from Jakob:
"Absolute royalty from Barbados - the "Rockley" style reaches its highest form of art here. Smoke, honey, fresh fruit, plus green notes - all this with perfectly integrated alcohol and without ever developing any form of heaviness. In one form: Formidable."
635
Top review from Jakob:
"To date, the most impressive testimony to the quality Foursquare is capable of producing. Aging in former Madeira barrels brings a perfect flavor complement to the usual Foursquare profile and puts the Destino in a different league than the bulk of other Foursquare bottlings. Excellent."
53
Top review from Oliver:
"One can directly recognize the Foursquare DNA. Compared to other bottlings, however, an uncanny complexity and depth awaits, reminiscent of tropically aged Demerara bottlings. On the palate, round, nutty-spicy, intense, multilayered with a great sweetness. Similar to the 2006 just a touch more complex. Best Foursquare so far. A real firework in the mouth - Love it!"
9395
Top review from TheRhumhoe:
"A rum whose vintage is often considered a benchmark in the field, and it's easy to see why. The nose is very full and complex, with a multitude of flavors: exotic fruits, floral notes, aromatic herbs, tobacco, spices (ginger, licorice, anise, chili, vanilla, pepper), smoky wood, nuts, caramel, honey, chocolate and medicinal notes form an aromatic bouquet as special as it is detailed, deep and lively. The palate is very elegant and sophisticated. The rum is lively, rich in spices, aromatic herbs and floral notes that extend to honey. Wood, smoke, leather and chocolate follow the complex, fresh palate. Some medicinal and fruity notes lie in ambush on the tongue. The alcohol is very well integrated. The finish is long, dark, bitter, medicinal, woody and slightly herbaceous. There are also dried fruits, leather, spices and chocolate. For a profile of Barbados, this is an original, complete and accomplished rum, with remarkable and delicious flavors."
18937
Top review from zabo:
"First impression: Oh yes!!! After the failure with the Raconteur, which I personally didn't like that much, only the Absolutio. The combination of bourbon and port barrel works really well in my opinion. The alcohol is perfectly integrated. Nice and soft and velvety to drink, beautiful dark color and pretty curtains in the glass. At 179€, it's also cheaper than its predecessor. From what I remember of the Velier Foursquare Crosstasting, it stands out from the others and would be at the top of my list. I think this will be my new favorite Foursquare."
3847
Top review from Stefan Persson:
"Best Bajan rum I’ve tasted so far. This release is produced by Foursquare for St. Nicholas Abbey, cause they hadn’t rum aged at this length at this stage of their production. Nowadays they have released a 12yo produced at the estate if I’ve understood it right."
12303
Top review from Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰:
"This is a great Barbadian. Once poured you know you're in Barbados. I love the coconut that is there from nose to finish. Seems like they hit the right barrel for this release. Well balanced overall and natural sweetness on the palate. Price to quality is very good."
13563
Top review from Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰:
"Thinking about the price tag on this bottle you Gert a lot of Barbados on your table. A surprisingly good rum with fruit and spices. The wood is light but the spices on the palate makes it warm. I like it."
13751
Top review from Giorgio Garotti:
"Second single cask of mount gay selected by high spirits! A swing of flavors, less intense than the first release but much more elegant! Kudos to high spirits for the quality of these single casks!"
9744
Top review from Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪:
"Coconut on the nose. There's no doubt where this keel comes from. It's right up there with the Foursquare stereotype! But that's not all... it's woody (14 years of aging, you can tell), with peppery spices and freshly grated nutmeg. There's also something heavier, resinous (glue, varnish). A rather attractive, concentrated nose. On the palate, it's very greedy, spicy but not too spicy. Lots of sweetness with dried fruit, dark chocolate and tobacco. Fruits are also present! The traditional notes of the house are not lacking: vanilla, coconut, licorice, honey... The finish is sustained by chocolate and blood orange! In conclusion, this is a great success."
7784
Top review from Jakob:
"Head-to-head with the Silver Seal and for me a nose ahead - although this can turn out the other way around at the next comparison. Here, too, smoke, honey, fresh fruitiness, plus green notes - the all-round pampering program for aficionados, which makes every tasting a star hour of rum. Always a pleasure!"
635
Top review from Jakob:
"To date, the most impressive testimony to the quality Foursquare is capable of producing. Aging in former Madeira barrels brings a perfect flavor complement to the usual Foursquare profile and puts the Destino in a different league than the bulk of other Foursquare bottlings. Excellent."
9395
Top review from TheRhumhoe:
"A rum whose vintage is often considered a benchmark in the field, and it's easy to see why. The nose is very full and complex, with a multitude of flavors: exotic fruits, floral notes, aromatic herbs, tobacco, spices (ginger, licorice, anise, chili, vanilla, pepper), smoky wood, nuts, caramel, honey, chocolate and medicinal notes form an aromatic bouquet as special as it is detailed, deep and lively. The palate is very elegant and sophisticated. The rum is lively, rich in spices, aromatic herbs and floral notes that extend to honey. Wood, smoke, leather and chocolate follow the complex, fresh palate. Some medicinal and fruity notes lie in ambush on the tongue. The alcohol is very well integrated. The finish is long, dark, bitter, medicinal, woody and slightly herbaceous. There are also dried fruits, leather, spices and chocolate. For a profile of Barbados, this is an original, complete and accomplished rum, with remarkable and delicious flavors."
18937
Top review from zabo:
"First impression: Oh yes!!! After the failure with the Raconteur, which I personally didn't like that much, only the Absolutio. The combination of bourbon and port barrel works really well in my opinion. The alcohol is perfectly integrated. Nice and soft and velvety to drink, beautiful dark color and pretty curtains in the glass. At 179€, it's also cheaper than its predecessor. From what I remember of the Velier Foursquare Crosstasting, it stands out from the others and would be at the top of my list. I think this will be my new favorite Foursquare."
3847
Top review from Stefan Persson:
"Best Bajan rum I’ve tasted so far. This release is produced by Foursquare for St. Nicholas Abbey, cause they hadn’t rum aged at this length at this stage of their production. Nowadays they have released a 12yo produced at the estate if I’ve understood it right."
126
Top review from DomM:
"Velier FS (+ a fee spected other contenders) blind cross tasting: Honestly, the results here were very close. The Belier bottlings display a very high quality thourgout the range. Triptych and Pleni came out on top for me closely followed by Destino. I was somewhat surprised, that Sassafras and 2006 came out rather at the bottom, while I enjoyed both very much on their own. Raconteur also quite low in the ranking with Principia clearly at the bottom."
113
Top review from crazyforgoodbooze:
"An extremely tasty number that is dominated above all by the floral tones of rose and Thai flying mango, which then alternate with nutty and chocolaty aromas. Mega exciting, extremely palatable and a complexity like this is very rare with Foursquare. Absolutely outstanding for me! It has become one of my favorite sipping rums. I think this could really be my absolute favorite Foursquare!"
15940
Top review from DomM:
"Velier FS (+ a fee spected other contenders) blind cross tasting: Honestly, the results here were very close. The Belier bottlings display a very high quality thourgout the range. Triptych and Pleni came out on top for me closely followed by Destino. I was somewhat surprised, that Sassafras and 2006 came out rather at the bottom, while I enjoyed both very much on their own. Raconteur also quite low in the ranking with Principia clearly at the bottom."
5776
Top review from Rodolphe:
"Blind tasting tonight. The nose is great. A big salad of exotic fruits in the foreground. A little almond powder behind, some dried fruit, a hint of rubber. A nose that makes you want to drink it, really! I really like it. On the palate, the woodiness is more noticeable, as are certain aromas such as candied prunes. A little less fruity. A wonderful discovery, I found it really very good, but I didn't guess at all, I thought it was a Jamaican-dominated navy blend."
90
Top review from crazyforgoodbooze:
"Holy moly the claps neatly! But very horny and intense. Strong mocha, vanilla bean, raisin, discreet sherry and rum raisins, dark chocolate with fleur de sel and espresso beans and then again coconut and banana chips. Only the alcohol could be better integrated. Aromatically, however, it is really fun!"
Flavour profile of Barbados
Most frequently mentioned flavors
Aroma
Taste
Finish
Popular distilleries of Barbados
- Foursquare 495 rums
- West Indies 174 rums
- Mount Gay 93 rums
- Rockley 15 rums
- St. Nicholas Abbey 15 rums
- Multi Distilleries 5 rums
- Foursquare & West Indies 2 rums
- Ebbe & Flut Brennerei Rügen 2 rums
All rums from Barbados
- Wolfgang Klotz Spirits Foursquare Barbados Rum MBFS 2007 17yr 60,2% RX21667
- Whisper Barbados Rum 8yr 40% RX975
- Whisper Barbados Rum 5yr 40% RX2065
- Whiskybroker West Indies 2000 17yr 51,8% RX2526
- Whiskybroker West Indies 2000 16yr 57,6% RX2782
- Whisky Picnic Bar Foursquare Barbados 2007 14yr 62,6% RX14036
- Whisky Krüger Foursquare Old Holzbunge No. 2 2007 10yr 46% RX8926
- Whisky AGE Foursquare Barbados Single Rum 2009 12yr 61,5% RX20589
- Whisky AGE Foursquare Barbados Single Rum 2006 15yr 59,1% RX20657
- Whisky & Rum Foursquare L’Esprit 2002 19yr 52% RX12849
- Whisky & Rhum West Indies L‘Esprit 2000 12yr 57,7% RX4069
- Whisky & Rhum West Indies L‘Esprit 2000 12yr 46% RX6406
- Whisky & Rhum Foursquare L‘Esprit 2007 9yr 65,3% RX1838
- Whisky & Rhum Foursquare L‘Esprit 2007 10yr 64,5% RX8498
- Whisky & Rhum Foursquare L‘Esprit 2005 15yr 60,5% RX7597
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