Foursquare Rum Distillery

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Foursquare Rum Distillery, located in Saint Philip, Barbados, sits on the historic Foursquare Sugar Plantation site. It was founded in 1995 by David Seale and is now run by his son, Richard Seale, a fourth‑generation rum maker and historian. The Seale family first became involved in rum with R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd. in 1926, a company that sourced and bottled rums from other distilleries. Today, Foursquare makes its own rums and also preserves brands once owned by R.L. Seale, such as Doorly’s, Old Brigand, and E.S.A. Field, along with John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum.

The distillery uses a combination of two double retort copper pot stills and a modern Coffey vacuum still to produce Barbadian‑style rums, blending pot- and column‑distilled spirits. Most molasses come from local sources, and fermentation uses a proprietary yeast from South Africa. Rums are aged mainly in ex‑bourbon and Madeira barrels, with no added sugars, colors, or flavors.

Foursquare runs a large solar installation and treats its wastewater for irrigation of sugarcane fields. The site also hosts Heritage Park, an open‑air museum with antique rum equipment, and the Folk Museum about Barbados’ rum history.

The distillery produces rums under its own labels and for heritage brands kept by R.L. Seale & Co. It holds more than 45,000 casks and is Barbados’ largest privately owned rum exporter. Award‑winning releases include the Exceptional Cask Selection, the Doorly’s line, and E.S.A. Field, and it also works with independent bottlers like The Real McCoy and has released Veritas (Probitas in the U.S.) with Hampden Estate.

Richard Seale is known for advocating unadulterated Barbadian rum and opposing added sugar. He supports a Barbadian geographical indication to protect local rum and preserve the island’s rum legacy.