Doorly's ABV43 12-Year

After drinking the Doorly's XO I thought I would give it a shot. The XO I would consider a budget rum, but hey the stuff is pretty dang tasty and a good bang for the money spent! The 12 year is a lot better and is notably smoother with lots of good tastes to slap upside your tongue. Slight burn at the finish and has a multitude of flavors as you sit back and say..... "Very Nice". Good price for a very good rum.

Seale's Real McCoy 12yo and Seale 10yo are better rums, in my opinion, because the flavors sing in delicious harmony. This one, on the other hand, doesn't quite pull it all together. The flavors lack balance, and the result is less rich, less complex. Acetone in the finish is disappointing. It's a very good rum, to be sure, but that's the point: Mr. Seale has spoiled me so much that I expect a masterpiece from him every time I try a bottle from his magnificent ouevre. The price of genius, I suppose...

Smells and tastes nice. Mostly woody and fruity flavours, such as oak and banana. Some floral characters on the nose. Residual sugar level is low, but it tastes naturally sweet. I think this one deserves a rating of slightly over 7/10, but not 8/10.

If you’ve had the XO or the 8 year, this is a step up, seeming like a combination of the two. More caramel, and molasses but also more wood. Thankfully it’s not like bourbon levels of oak, which Foursquare is known for. Once again, for the price, if you were considering it, just do it. You know you’ve spent way more on something they was much much worse

8,8:On the nose, we are on a rum typical for Barbados . The woodiness is omnipresent but delicious, slight gluey/funky. Aromas of vanilla, orange, banana, coconut, almonds, hazelnuts and a roasted note form the aromatic profile of this rum. It invites us to continue the tasting. After airing the tobacco (cigar) is also felt.
8,5:On the palate we are of course on a dry rum (which tends to become even more so as the seconds pass). The oak is very present and accentuates this slight astringency, bourbon fruity notes come second. A note of orange, caramel, even coffee, vanilla and a touch of pepper compliment this woodiness. A note of iodine somewhere at the end of sipping.
8,5:The finish is long and relatively supple, but dry at the same time. In addition to the barrel, notes of vanilla and nutmeg make this beautiful experience last.

Balanced and an excellent step into Foursquare Rum. Not so sweet. Somehow simple but with the typical Foursquare character and affordable...Not as good as the 14 years but still great @ this value! Payed often more but did not get this emotions 🙏

I expected a little more. It’s not bad, just nothing seems to make it stand out.

Lovely drop of the good stuff. Classic nose of dates sultanas taste of the same with a nice long finish and licorice, cherries, and dark chocolate Recommended

Compared to its younger XO (6yo) brother it's much more complex and has a great nose.
Similar to 12yo El Do, so I highly recommend.

Sweet but just shy of too sweet. Can be a little rough and burning. Can be simple or oaky and complex. Depends on the sip. Overall very worth a try but not the best.