Foursquare 2005

Deep amber color. Feels viscous on the nose, with notes of vanilla bean, butterscotch, caramel, condensed milk, allspice, freshly ground nutmeg, hints of leather and faint pineapple. Mouthfeel is very enjoyable but not quite as luscious as some other Foursquare vintages. Palate is ridiculous and in some ways reminiscent of a fine Sherry-finished whisky. I get notes of malt and lots of fruit character, with apricots, dried figs and golden raisins mingling with salted caramel, brown sugar, charred cinnamon stick, and oak with a faint hint of cardamom. Finish is long and warm with banana caramelized in brown sugar, baking spices and charred oak, with hints of smoke and black pepper. This is just about perfect.

The aroma leans more towards industrial than tropical: tennis ball rubber and gasoline. Though there are some dried fruits underneath these top notes. The palate is a dazzling mess of flavors. There's tropical fruits, sugar cane, vanilla extract, confectioners sugar, and fruit leathers. Engaging juicy texture with added spice and tannins to dry things out. The finish returns to rubber, taffy, and a splash of gasoline. Add a bit of water to dispel the initial heat of the alcohol. Though there's no escaping the warming burn that radiates through your chest.

Received a blind sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: A strong vanilla extract note with some banana and peanut shells. Palate: Spicier than expected, with a ginger character. Finish: Long but not hot. The somewhat spicy ginger character hangs around. Splash: A few drops of water don't reveal any new flavors. Overall: 7/10 - I’m not really a rum guy, so while this was a fun pour, I get the sense that it's really meant more as a cocktail ingredient than how I sampled it.

Nose: initial: sugarcane, vanilla, nutmeg, and tropical fruits such as bananas and coconut. Followed by oak and ethanol, but not terribly overpowering. Taste: initial: sweet, vanilla, and fruity. Followed by pepper, citrus, and smoke. Finish nice and long with oak, leather, and dried tropical fruits. Complex yet balanced nicely. If you enjoy bourbon you will enjoy this rum. The finish is similar to Stagg Jr in terms of heat, while the initial sweetness is similar to a Weller 107.

This rum has flavor for miles. This is a strooong rum, but the flavor is amazing. On the nose I got sweetness and tobacco, but with a little ice the flavor became more intense and profile reminded me of Appleton Estate 21 or El Dorado 21, which have a good tobacco and leather nose.

Nose: For some reason a get a ton of Sherry here. Rich, dark fruits. A bit of cane sugar coming through. Taste: The cane sugar and coconut/tropical flavors blend beautifully with that Sherry/fruity note I got in the nose. I had a verbal response to this one. Awesome.