Rum has no single global definition, which is why the additives debate matters more here than in any other spirit. Sugar, colouring, and flavouring are legal in rum in many jurisdictions, and most labels say nothing about them. The honest bottles are the ones that volunteer the information, and Foursquare of Barbados has built its reputation on doing exactly that.

The bottle is the Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XXIV, the 2011 vintage: 12 years old, 60% ABV, matured in ex-bourbon casks. A US retailer lists it at USD 101.99 and states on the listing that it contains no added sugar or colouring. That claim is the retailer's, and it is presented here as the retailer's, but it matches the distillery's long public position against additives. The 60% strength is cask strength in all but name, which means the drinker controls the dilution, and the ex-bourbon maturation is stated rather than implied.

How to read a rum label

Ask three questions of any rum. What went into the cask, and for how long? What was added after? At what strength is it bottled? A label that answers all three is a label that trusts you, and most do not. The Mark XXIV answers all three on the retailer's own listing: 12 years, ex-bourbon, 60% ABV, no added sugar or colouring claimed. At USD 101.99 it is not a casual purchase, but it is a fairly priced education in what rum is allowed to be when nothing is hidden. Start here, and read every other rum label against it.