43: The Making of Foursquare's New High Ester Rum with Richard Seale

In this episode, Richard Seale takes us through the story behind the new high ester rum from Foursquare, and the larger vision for the Barbados distillery’s journey into cane juice rum production. We discuss:Where the idea to make a high ester rum at Foursquare came fromThe production process used to make the rum (and why he chose to make it a blend of molasses-based rum fermented with cultured yeast and cane juice-based rum fermented naturally)Why Richard isn’t a fan of “high ester” as a descriptor for this rum (but has accepted it)What the future of high ester and cane juice rum production looks like at FoursquareThe humbling experience of natural fermentationRichard’s view on the importance of S. Pombe yeast (and the myths that distort its perception)The evolution of the Barbados Rum Experience, a collaboration between Foursquare, Mount Gay, and St. Nicholas AbbeyThe doctoral scholarships that RL Seale and Company is funding for Barbados rum history research at the University of the West IndiesAnd a whole lot more!Relevant Links:Check out the Barbados Rum Experience hereGet more details on Foursquare’s investment in Barbados rum research at the University of the West Indies hereFor more discussion of S. Pombe, see Richard’s article titled “Yeast in Rum,” and our interview with Stephen Shellenberger of Boston Apothecary