This vintage installment in the Foursquare ECS line gave us strong notes of vanilla, oak and brown sugar, with subtler hints of caramel and baking spices.

This installment in the ECS lineup has a lot in common with its predecessor, the 2008. Of course there are the obvious things: it’s a molasses-based pot-column blend, it’s tropically aged for 12 in ex-bourbon casks, it’s additive-free and non-chill-filtered. But beyond that, it hits many of the same high points as the 2008 on the nose and the palate.

As soon as you pour it into a glass you’re hit with vanilla and oak, with subtler notes of brown sugar, chocolate and dried fruit (mostly dates). On the palate, the stars of the show are oak and caramel, with vanilla taking a back seat. While I wouldn’t say the wood is poorly integrated (it’s not) you get the sense that the cask gets to be more of a character in the 2009. It gets a bit sawdusty at times; one moment the oak seems to be mixed with pine, and the next you’re questioning if an ex-port cask could’ve slipped in with the bourbons. The finish is strong—although it’s bottled at the 60% ABV standard for vintage releases, it packs an outsized punch. It’s much spicier on the finish than the nose or palate would’ve suggested: cinnamon and nutmeg.

In our ECS vintage taste test the 2009 was our favorite neat sipper (8.6/10); it had all the warmth and sweetness of the 2008, with more interesting barrel characteristics and a stronger finish. It scored lower as a mixer (6.9/10); while it may be an overgeneralization to say oak and citrus don’t mix it seems to be true here—the daiquiri was quite bitter and didn’t taste cohesive. That being said, this is rum is made for sipping, and for that it truly a delight.