Equiano Rum – May 2025
Behold the Equiano! A collaboration between two LEGENDS of the rum world (Richard Seal and Ian Burrell), rum from two LEGENDARY distilleries that combined have more medals than we can list.
Equiano Rum is a blend of molasses-based rums from the African island of Mauritius (Gray’s Distillery) and the Caribbean Barbados (Foursquare) rums. The African component is column distilled and aged for 10 years in French Limosin Oak and ex-cognac casks, and the Caribbean component is 8 years old and matured in ex-bourbon American oak. 100% tropical maturation, bottled in 700ml at 43%.
The Equiano brand is a collaboration between two legends of the rum-game. Richard Seale – Master distiller and blender from Foursquare – needs little introduction. Since 2016, Richard Seale has earned an impressive 11 ‘Rum Producer of the Year’ titles across two of the most prestigious spirits competitions in the world — the IWSC (International Wine and Spirits Competition) and the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) — firmly establishing himself and Foursquare as arguably the finest rum producers on the planet.
The second partner-in-crime in the Equiano story – Ian Burrell – is a renowned figure in the spirits industry, celebrated as the world’s only recognized Global Rum Ambassador. With over three decades of experience, he has dedicated his career to promoting rum worldwide. In 2007, he founded the UK RumFest, the world’s first international rum festival, which has inspired similar events globally, including in Miami, Berlin, Paris, and Hong Kong. Burrell’s passion for rum has led him to conduct masterclasses and seminars across all seven continents, including establishing a rum shack in Antarctica in 2013!
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: The very first thing you notice on the nose is just the immense… richness of this rum! Even before you start to decipher what it’s trying to say, you just get a sense of deep luxuriousness that oozes into your olfactory system. Funky pineapple, apricot jam, leather and biscuit spices and there’s a beguiling sea-salty kick in those aromas too.
Palate: Wow! The nose doesn’t lie – but the sheer wall of flavour that bursts forth on that first sip is almost overwhelming at first. There’s a good hit of pepper almost immediately, but that opens like a curtain as big sweet fruity berry flavours along with new leather, ginger nut biccies (with an extra pinch of allspice just like Nan made).
Finish: Oh wow – I’m a sucker for a big finish in a rum and this is certainly one of those. Big and chewy – the sweet fruity berries of the palate morph into tart blackberry astringency that swings to gingery and fruit-tingle peppery …with the merest hint of smoke there too.
This is a textbook example of why Foursquare is one of the most acclaimed and awarded distilleries in the world. This is a rum that has more layers than Donkey’s onion, a depth that is apparent from the very first smell from the cork-pop, body and richness by the metric ton and a finish that will have you sucking your teeth until the final fruit-tingle-like sensation on your tongue leaves you simultaneously reminiscing school tuckshops … and reaching for the bottle for another one!
FROM EQUIANO
At The Equiano Rum Co. we’re redefining a four-century- old industry by creating unique blends of rum from around the world.
Equiano Original is a collaboration between two continents and two world renowned distilleries in Mauritius and Barbados: masterfully blended by Richard Seale at the Foursquare Distillery in Barbados.
Rich and deep flavours come from the barrels in which we tropically mature our liquid in.
Nose: Subtle warmth with rich notes of dried fruits combine with sweet toffee and caramel culminating with a suggestion of orange peel, vanilla and buttered wood.
Palate: Natural sweet notes expected of a well-aged rum from American white oak ex- Bourbon casks. A warm toffee and butterscotch mouth-fell, with chewy raisins and brown sugar flavours.
Finish: A medium to sweet ending with touches of oak, anise, sweet pepper with a hint of bitter orange peel.
Ian Burrell
ABOUT EQUIANO – THE MAN
In 1745, Olaudah Equiano was born. His life began in Africa, but before reaching his teens, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Growing as a boy into a man, his experiences shaped him. During his early years he voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean where he was enslaved for many years. Eventually he crossed the seas once more and landed in the United Kingdom. Tenacious and determined, he traded in rum on the side, selling a puncheon of rum at a time. In just a matter of years he managed to save forty pounds, paving his way to liberation. Equiano was free!
Equiano was a visionary, a freedom fighter, whose work changed history. As a writer and speaker, his powerful memoirs went on to inform the transatlantic slave trade act and impact the freedom of people all over the world. Freedom that many of us enjoy, but that many more are still fighting for, making his story as relevant to global conversation today as he was in the 1700’s.
With the bold statement of being the world’s first African and Caribbean rum, we knew our name needed to respect the journey, provenance and quality of our liquid, marrying the old with the new. We knew it had to mirror our own beliefs, creating positive change through the work that we do.
Between his values, journey and impact, we feel great pride and honour in his name adorning our bottle. Equiano’s values distill our beliefs perfectly and that is why we’re giving 5% of company profits and £2/$2 of every bottle purchased here to ground-level freedom and equality projects annually, and celebrating a man who we all aspire to be more like.
We are hoping we can do our bit for Equiano’s legacy, please see how we are making a difference, by supporting ‘Freedom of Spirit’ through the Equiano Rum Co Foundation grant. Click here to go to our press release.
