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Foursquare ECS XVI Shibboleth 2005
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Toasted coconut, vanilla and dried fruit lead here, with dark chocolate and a whiff of nail-polish funk underneath. This 16-year Foursquare from the 2005 vintage runs drier and woodier than the younger 2008/2009 ECS bottlings, with the 56% well tucked in. Many rate it near the top of the series; a few find it rounded but a touch interchangeable with its Foursquare siblings.
The community says- Coconut and vanilla
- Well-integrated 56%
- Keep in mind: Short finish
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Auction results: 72–174 € (46 sales in 24 months, incl. buyer's premium, latest 09/2026). How the range is built ›
The look inside the bottle
How does Foursquare ECS XVI Shibboleth 2005 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Dry, coconut-and-oak Foursquare for sipping Widely loved as one of the better ECS releases — round, dry and elegant with coconut, oak and dried fruit. The one gripe: some feel it's a bit typical and short on the finish.
Aroma profileFoursquare and Barbados fans who like dry, oaky, coconut-driven sippers
People chasing big fruit, high funk or a long finish
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
65 of 184 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
Buying advice
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
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What does the community say?
184 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
48 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 184 ratings, including those without text.
Review by Galli33
Most helpful positive review
My personal winner of todays FS tasting shibb>2009>empery. This one has the best round overall feeling. Alcohol is integrated better than in others. All in all, all three are very similar in tastes/smells. Nose: solvents, dried fruits, coconut, raisin, carmel, butterscotch, woody, oak, roasted nuts, cashews Mouth: dry, sharpness, round, elegant, full bodied, complex, balanced, coconut, raisin, dried fruit, caramel Finish: Medium, dry, round, dried fruits, sweet, caramel, oak(barrel), vanilla, roasted nuts, cocoa, dark chocholate roasted
Review by Lukáš Jarník
Most helpful mixed review
Very sharp but only for a while. Quickly washes off the tongue. Excellent for the whole evening
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
A very nice and well balanced rum especially thinking about how well the wood has been integrated without being dominant. Lovely rum that is already hard to obtain. Price to quality is not so good, but still a good rum.
Review by Mirco
Vanilla and coconut dominate the aroma profile, accompanied by woody dried fruit and subtle spice notes. On the palate, it presents itself rich and elegant, with a dry finish that adds tobacco and roasted nuts. Complex, clearly structured.
Review by Benoit Mahe
An elegant and intense Foursquare, a beautiful selection
Review by Jakob
Surprisingly mild - alcohol well integrated, plus a fruit note rather unusual for Foursquare. No revolution in taste, but a good representative. If with increasing age actually further flavors in the known spectrum, one can hopefully look forward to further releases of similar (tropical) maturity. I like it well.
Review by Frank
I'm always a bit skeptical about the 4 corners, they're not really my thing. They are mostly too well-behaved and too pleasing to me, good beginners with decent quality but always very interchangeable. Let's see...Nose: nice fruity-spicy, I immediately sweet cream toffee with a slight tobacco-smoke note. Behind that a mix of fruits with vanilla that reminds me of mealy sweet cherimoya (pear, banana, strawberry, apricot). Burnt sugar and some wood round things out. Very pleasing.Palate: fruity-woody, with decent coconut. Good then comes apricot and somehow quince. I also find tobacco here and then something green and herbal towards saffron. And for molasses makes you noticeable.Not bad, but yet so similar to all the others.
Review by Johannes
So far the best in the range
Review by MJ97
On the nose, the 1 is more pastry-like. Orange and damp wood. Then the solvent side comes in. On the palate, it's much rounder, much more direct, with pastry / mocha / vanilla. It takes up the whole mouth and is as round as it should be, with superbly well-integrated alcohol. The finish is greedy, medium-long, with wood coming through and becoming bitter.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Extremely nice roasty, strong and fruity-spicy Foursquare. You can't go far wrong with it if you like the profile, but overall it is also somewhat inconspicuous and joins the ranks of the typical Foursquares.
Review by Tim
On the nose, vanilla caramel alternates with spicy wood. Sometimes a hint of fruit or chocolate shines through, but the fruit is more discreet compared to the FS 2008. Very tasty profile! Rather less spicy in the mouth, despite 56%. Still naturally spicy, woody, chocolaty, fruity. Now far too expensive, a very good rum anyway.
Review by Sebastian Kornett
Reminiscent of all vintage bottling, only that this is rounder and more intense. The 16 years stand him well. Longer, however, it should not be. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of three bottles.
Review by Paul Christiaens
Tasted this together with the Blackadder. This one is smoother, has some funk and is even better balanced. Hence the winner of the two. Nose: great notes of glue and varnish, some flor (sherry yeast), coconut, chocolate. Banana peal, leather, tobacco. Orange, dried fruit. Palate: soft and oily, although spicy. There is a good deal of the funk left (varnish, banana peal, light petrol note), but next to that also prune, leather, tobacco, wood, orange liqueur and baking spice. Finish: long, nicely balanced between funk, sweet fruit and cake, coconut, chocolate, and darker notes of leather and tobacco.
Review by Timo Groeger
Nice Foursquare here. On the nose we have a nice mix of vanilla, coconut and wood. On the palate also pleasantly sweet, vanilla is joined by caramel and chocolate, also wood and coconut again.
Review by Oliver
Quite round and accessible Foursquare - without being boring!On the palate strong, spicy and tasty. Great bottling!
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Foursquare tasting Rumdepot 25.06.2026
Review by Double Barrel
Great and Idiomatic (to stay in that peculiar semantic field Richard seems to enjoy so much) Foursquare even if, dare i say it... it's even better with a dash of water. I miss some perfectly interwoven layers like in the Criterion to score it even higher. Edit : forgot to mention the delicious Banoffee Pie. One more point.
Review by TheRhumhoe
A powerful Foursquare with lots of character. The nose is complex and intense, with notes of tropical and dried fruits, wood, chocolate, caramel and nail polish. On the palate, the rum is very liquid and spreads rapidly with a certain explosiveness. The attack is clean and straightforward, with roasted, smoky and toasty notes accompanying chocolate and caramel. Fruit, on the other hand, is more subdued. The finish is long and persistent, the rum becoming sticky on the palate. There are notes of spice, roast and pepper. A more complex Foursquare, difficult to approach, but still very good.
Review by Michael Janek
in the scent of the kanagom mirnoulince in taste it is also, very intense taste at the beginning, but quickly fades away
Review by DomM
Rounder on the nose vs ECS 2008 and 2009. Overall a little more elegant (some additional years in the barrel(s) seem to pay off here), but otherwise more or less on par with his brothers.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Foursquare…läuft
Review by Insta: spiritofbernard 🇫🇷
The best Foursquare I've ever tasted ❤️
Review by mto75
the Shibbo is rounder on the nose than the 2008 and 2009 tasted just before, but I also attribute a bit to the lower ABV level. The 16 years of barrel aging I find amazingly well done, not at all too dominant, there remains a nice fruit note, even a little in the direction of the fresh notes, which I usually locate rather with Agricole.
Review by Henry Davies
It’s not my favourite Foursquare ECS but undoubtably a very well made and balanced rum. If anything it feels more grown up than many of the ECS series, with real woody notes and a more subdued sweet edge. The aim of demonstrating 16 years of aging without the oak of the barrel overwhelming works well, with a sweet caramel cutting across the oak. It’s a rum for savouring and a less typical Foursquare profile with a drier finish and less tropical notes. Looking forward to revisiting
Review by Michal S
A soft, delicate Barbados in which the wood recedes into the background and lighter notes of dried fruit and vanilla stand out. Of course, there is no shortage of coconut or chocolate, and although I'm cutting back a bit in the rating, I still consider this rum one of the best "normal" Foursquares.
Review by Serge
Not bad with nice dried fruit and tropical fruit notes that don't leave coconut, cask, burnt sugar and vanilla standing alone.
Review by Basti
For me, the 2005 FS all have a slightly floral touch on the palate, which definitely sets them apart from other vintages.
Review by Schnubbii
The Shibboleth. On the nose, I find coconut and oak. On the palate again coconut and oak, quite dry. My experience with Nobiliary and Sovereignty is that they open up significantly and improve with a bit of water. Unfortunately, the Shibboleth falls a bit short here; it also opens up but remains quite dry and coconut-heavy. Compared directly to Nobiliary and Sovereignty, the Shibboleth is somewhat behind for me. Not a bad Foursquare ECS, but for my taste so far rather unspectacular and one you can quite well do without.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... Foursquare is a distillery from Barbados producing amazing rums for everyday sipping. It's a rum appreciated especially by rum lovers who are fed up with sugar and looking for a smooth, sweet rum full of coconut, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. Simply pleasant and not aggressive flavors.
Review by Martin Augustin
A very mild rum with well-integrated alcohol. Very round and ideal for enjoyable sipping. Has few edges and corners, which for me is typical for Barbados. Strong coconut and vanilla notes dominate the taste.
Review by Ondrej Czinege
Intense aroma but quickly fades
Review by Thunderbird
A good Foursquare.... but nothing more for me
Review by Rare Akuma
Lovely nose that brings you straight to the Bajan beaches. Sweet and mild profile with an untamed touch. To start off, we get fresh coconut flakes, toasted coconut and crème fraîche. Barrel spices, hefty caramelisation and a light Pepsi cola undertone. Dried fruit tannins subsequently pop up and evolve into tart citrus zest, some juniper and a vial of nail polish remover left open too long. There’s an ever so slight old barn note that ends in fresh flowers and mint. In the mouth the feeling of tropical vacationing persists. The experience is less tart and lively, but rather more robust and intense. Firstly toasted coconut and vanilla ice cream, followed by hefty barrel spices, much more concentrated than on the nose. The zingy spices and peels have been left behind in favour of orange peel, peppers and sea salt. Baskets of dried apricot and raisins bring a sweet, yet dry and lightly bitter mouthfeel. In the throat there’s an earthy touch, lightly peated, with geranium and naturally sweet cigar. Ends in a medium length finish with more toasted coconut, water from a freshly cracked coconut, sugared espresso, sea salt and butterscotch candies.
Review by Portman
Exquisitely versatile and yet not overwhelming! Sweet vanilla-almond-date aromas with underlying wood and chestnut hints. Subtle malt, carefully integrated alcohol. A fine example of the ECS series!
Review by John Coffey
An excellent full strength.. just lacks a bit of length.. Good fruity side and this very interesting freshness.. Nice success..
Review by Stefan L
Again a really good Foursquare.
Review by Philip M. 🇧🇪
Very good Foursquare release. Not too complex, very approachable. The 16 years of aging gave it a nice level of oak. The alcohol is integrated pretty well. I compared this to Empery, and Shibboleth is way better in my opinion.
Review by Jakob Mmmmhhh
Classic FS profile, but less fruit compared to the 12 year olds (2008, 2009). A bit too one-dimensional even if well made. Bourbon fans who like barrel strength and lots of wood (Elijah Craig Barrel Strength fans, I'm talking to you!) will love it! Alcohol is milder integrated than in the 12 year olds.
Review by Jack M
It’s a very decent rum. It’s complex, intense and rich in flavour. It has lots of woody/ oak notes, leather, dried fruit and vanilla. It is an exemplar of refined Barbados/ Foursquare rum. I think it would be very hard for anyone not to like this, but equally it doesn’t have any endearing quirkiness to make it especially memorable. I will very much enjoy the bottle but feel no need to buy another.
Review by Gregor
Dark fruits, lots of black, sweet cherry, plum, some wood, caramel; grilled banana, memories of strawberries on the finish. Medium to long finish.
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Roasted peanuts with dried fruit and some light salty smoke in the finish. I think I like finish the most.
Review by Pierangelo Pianta
Hydrocarbons, chewable, pleasant. Lots of sweet wood. But very short
Review by Gil Firth
Another good release by foursquare. Some of those releases are better that the velier ones. This is not the case. But overall very good. טעימת פורסקוור משום מה סיים בתחתית. השיבולת סך הכל מספק את הסחורה. טעים. מתוק. מעניין. אבל לא משהו יוצא דופן. קצת חזק על הצד המתוק, הפירותי. אין הרבה מעבר. פורסקוור קלאסי.
Review by And a bottle of rum
Intriguing nose with nail polish, pencil shavings, dried tropical fruits with muscavado sugar, and dark chocolate chips… On the palate strong, sweet with sweetness of molasses, Demerara sugar, dried and overripe tropical fruits, coconut, dark chocolate with salt, and chilli. All surrounded by cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and tropical wood. Finish is rather long, with dried fruits and dark chocolate shavings. This is an extraordinary, and delicious bottling of Foursquare. The rum is mature, round, multilayered, and gives much fun.
Review by Roman Lelek
Foursquere what more can I say...it tastes as good as 2009 but not more...in aroma and taste wood, at the same time there is a fruity taste. The finish is medium, I could see a bottle but any other Foursquere rather than this particular one.
Review by Alex1981
Great release with well integrated alcohol. Less woody than expected, very round yet complex enough with layers of flavors. Much better than the V&M in direct comparison although similar age.
Review by martin slezák
Calendar of Pavel Špaček vol. 2 Sample 28 rx9782 Colour amber Aroma spices, caramel, wood, bourbon Flavour sweetness, chocolate, caramel,, spice,, vAnilka Finish wood, chocolate, vanilla, caramel Delicate rum
Review by raphael galak
Its gourmand spices to madness, vanilla coconut, a light and deep wood! A typical Barbados profile, which amplifies my crush for this house! Beyond tastings, pure pleasure!!
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 9.1/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by RumRock
Read full review ›Noooo this was a big expectation for me, because 16 years is simply 16 years. I definitely have to say that the nose and taste surprised me. I expected again some strong Bourbon with a lot of woodiness, vanilla, warmth, and mustiness.
Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review ›The bourbon influence on this is much less than you might expect and its a much fruitier - less dry rum. And its pretty fantastic to be fair...........but please don't ask me how it rates against their other releases. Its as good as rum gets - thats all you need...
Expert review by Rum nagykövet
Read full review ›
Foursquare ECS XVI Shibboleth 2005 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
506 bottles logged by 331 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
10% opened, 24 emptied.
What did the community pay for Foursquare ECS XVI Shibboleth 2005?
Community paid 108–181 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 129 €. Price history with 46 auction results in RX+ ›
+11 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
506 purchased · 186 tasted · 46 wishlist · as of
Details about Foursquare ECS XVI Shibboleth 2005
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Barbados, distilled by Foursquare, at 56%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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