Foursquare 2007

Rating: 18/23 N: Lighter than I'd expected, but with a bold woodiness underlying it. There are plenty of tart tannins the come with a hint of a savory mustard scent as well. Some light minerality with hints of vanilla, but there really isn't a whole lot going on here. A possible touch of apple This nose isn't bad, but it's pretty boring. This does often happen with high proof drams though, so I'm curious to try the palate. P: Sweet and hot, with some wood in there too. It's like caramel with some grade A maple syrup and some undercooked caramel as well. Notes of fruit (not sure which, but vaguely red and juicy yet restrained) come in at points. There's also a bitterness that makes me think of char and there's a note of savory mustard. Subtle notes of vanilla, but they're on the bitter side. The heat is a bit much here and the flavors are a bit light, unfortunately. F: This is more bitter than I'd expected, but the bitterness melds into wood and then vanilla, so that's nice. Also, some of that savory mustard lingers, though it's on the faint side. - Conclusion - This pales in comparison to Foursquare ECS 2009 (19/23). I like this a lot, but it just isn't as full and it's pretty hot. Foursquare Detente (18/23) is more balanced and less hot than this, with a slightly more elegant profile. This packs a bigger punch, but that seems like just the ABV. Privateer Navy Yard (17/23) is funkier, sweeter, and less hot, with a bit of sweet tobacco and a faint scotchy vibe. I'm considering a 17 or 18 for this and leaning toward a 17. Honestly, I can even imagine a 16. That sweet tobacco scotchy vanilla coming out of the Privateer is just so good. Coming back to this, it's less sweet and funky, but more mature and hot than the Privateer. There are some tropical fruits and polished wood now, with the latter being especially dominant and decadent. There are hints of jalapeño in here as well. Foursquare Détente is more smooth and mellow than this, with less polished wood, but similar woody maturity. I still don't think that this is quite on the level of my bottle of Balcones True Blue Cask Strength (19/23), but it's getting close. I'm thinking that this is an 18. I'm glad I retasted it. I could still see a 17, but I'm thinking it isn't a 16 or 19. Given the heat, I can totally understand a 17, but I'm going with 18. Thank you, @ctbeck11, for sharing this!

Not my personal review, but it is so detailed I thought it should be cut and pasted here: Anonymous, 22 April Just incredible what these guys have been able to do with their distillery, from the sherry & bourbon finishes we are seeing, to the obscure port and zinfandel casks they have stunned us with in the past- youve got to love their attempt at innovation. I wasnt expecting much from this at all, honestly. From the initial nosing when I first got it, it has got a bit of a "weird" solventy-Airfix glue quality to it, of which I am not a fan- reminding me of cheapo jack D... however, what you get underneath that is just unreal. Nose- pre water: Heavy solvent punch (Which Ive a feeling is the bourbon cask), dark chocolate, Hay, Barrel char, very woody-oak (sounds silly, but it smells like my face is inside a cask- amazing), toasted vanilla, campfire smoke, spice, sweet sherry its associated cask tint, naturally sweet (surprisingly sweet), light fruitiness, dark fruits on the undertone, stone fruit, light- Not your usual Dark heavy mollases note youd usually associate with Mollasses-style rum. white wine, pepper, corn, candy floss, thick blanket of sweetness, toffee, honey, heather, burger sauce (!? part of the solventy-scent), musty With water: Lifted and opened up incredibly, Banana, heavy caramel, toffee, massive natural vanilla, huge body, tropical fruits, spices, ginger, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, thick and full. Taste: Without water: Huge punch of spices, Peppery, toasted oakiness (but not tannin-bitter), bourbon sweet, huge vanilla, smoke, fruity, woody-hit, can really taste the barrells, molasses (but not the dark-heavy molasses we've come to expect), spicy! complex, almond, nutty, orange zest on the tail. With water: BIG! Opened up, sweet, spicy, black pepper, Sweet wood/oakiness- wow, Smokey, (camp woodfire smoke), corn, tobacco, bourbon, pine, resins and tannins, apricot, honey, heather, punchy, dark fruits, grapes, lingering, raisin, damsons, has mass, can really get the orange on the back end/back of the pallette, banana, nuts, hazel and almond, and just goes

Nose - bittersweet molasses, cocoa, toffee, baked apple, vanilla, orange zest, caramelized banana, marshmallow, tobacco, cherry, dense oak, lemon, powdered sugar, grass, mint, allspice, clove, pineapple rind, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - bittersweet molasses, dark chocolate, salted caramel, overripe banana, pineapple, white pepper, brown sugar, cherry, leather, vanilla, orange pith, lemon, grass, clove, allspice, tannic oak, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, dark chocolate, tropical fruit, and baking spice flavors. Now this is the Foursquare profile I want! Dark and brooding with a natural sweetness and a thick, chewy mouthfeel. The nose is oaky, chocolatey, and darkly fruity with some confectionary effervescence. The palate blasts onto the scene with that strong, bittersweet molasses, deep citrus, and more dark tropical fruits. This is excellent rum, albeit slightly brighter than I’d prefer, even with its 12 Year age statement. The bourbon cask maturation beautifully complements the Foursquare base spirit. While it creeps slightly into sour, youthful territory, this is the style of rum I want to drink when I want to drink rum. I wonder whether a bit more age would make a positive difference? Well we’re going to find out tomorrow.

I started out a bit hesitant with the nose—fresh paint dominated my first whiff, slowly unveiling ginger, nuts, and brown sugar with time. The high proof was clearly evident by the nose-tingling burn. But the taste, quite frankly, blew me away. This is the most impressive rum I’ve enjoyed to date. Its cask strength, while definitely noticeable, was not the burning beast I expected. Instead, the burn was controlled, providing warmth and development to a delightfully balanced composition of sweet butterscotch, rich fruits, toasted nuts, and smoky wood. Given my limited experience, this tastes like a deft combination of the lighter and sweeter Plantation XO (tropical fruit: banana, mango, coconut) with the darker and denser El Dorado 15 (caramelized nuts, coffee, and charred oak). Still, let me be clear—this is on another level in terms of quality, sophistication, and complexity. This is a rum you take your time appreciating. Absolutely deserving of all the praise, and a must-try for evolving palettes eager to progress beyond the popular sweetened rums out there. An utter joy to sip and savor. I’ll be sad when this is gone. [10/10]

I'll do this review as a comparison between 2007 and 2008, which I think some people will appreciate. To be clear, both are excellent, and you can't go wrong with either. 2007 is a deeper, darker tasting, more charred drinking experience. There is a good kind of bitterness to this, in the same way that good coffee is bitter but smooth. I get burnt toffee notes with hints of dark cocoa and coffee, and a a medicinal quality throughout. Finally, I get highly caramelized sweetness on the back end that reminds me of burnt (practically blackened) sugar. By comparison, 2008 is brighter and fruitier. It is dessert in the form of berry compote over medium toasted creme brulee. A perception of sweetness exists throughout, but it never strikes a bass note in the same way as the 2007. As I return to it, I find hints of licorice, candied orange, cardamom, and cognac. If I did not know that this was only aged in ex bourbon casks, I would swear to a brandy influence of some type. Neither is better than the other. Each brings something unique to the table. At the same time, the shared pedigree of excellence is undeniable.

Gin, whisky and now rum... the trifecta all happening tonight. Another last bottle I allowed in the door as a chunk of my collection was heading out the other way. Foursquare is known as the Pappy of the rum world. They are lazer focused on excellent traditional quality rum, no adulterents or short cuts. Their bottlings are sort after by rum purists and having tried a boutique whiskey offering and now this I can see why. Once a liberal helping of water is added to bring it down under the 50% abv mark (I'm guessing) lovely toasted caramelized coconut wood flavours burst forward. If you are a whiskey drinker not interested in sweet rums I'd seek these guys out. I'd start with the excellent R. L. Seale's 10 year rum (they have 3 brands: R. L. Seale's, Doorley's and Foursquare). The R. L. Seale's 10 year rum is a great drop and quite cheap. Richer and sweeter but not over the top.