Foursquare Sovereignty

This rum is a combination of spirits from pot and column stills, aged for 14 years total, with 3 years in former Bourbon casks and 11 years in former sherry casks, bottled at 62% ABV. Those who try this should be cautious, as it presents as much stronger than its 62% suggests. My initial smell was like a hidden threat ready to strike. After repeated attempts and adding water, the flavors finally emerged: suede, caramelized bananas, and a hint of nail polish remover, followed by dark chocolate, musty grapes, and toasted coconut, then gooseberries, mango, and sautéed apples, leading to baking spices and polished mahogany with a strong ethanol burn. The palate has a medium texture, starting sweet with creamy tropical fruits, then a mild bitter spice that quickly fades into suede, caramelized bananas, and subtle vegetal notes, followed by dark chocolate-covered raisins and toasted coconut, then mango, cherries jubilee, and sautéed apples, finishing with baking spices and polished mahogany, also with a high ethanol burn. The medium-length finish offers light bitter vegetal notes, bananas foster, pineapple, mild black pepper, and overly steeped black tea. Overall, this is a delightful rum that, for me, requires water to fully appreciate its enjoyable tropical fruits, subtle vegetal notes, sherry, and aged wood character. However, it lacks the refinement I would expect from 14 years of aging, with some astringency and bitterness detracting from the experience. A generous sample from a friend, and a good start to my mini Foursquare series.

Initially quite unrefined and closed off. Adding ice mellows it, revealing pleasant berry, caramel, and chocolate notes, though the body is thin. It has a spicy, flat finish. Not among the better Foursquare products I've sampled. Nearly empty bottle, and it has improved significantly. What was once unappealing is now delightful. It has improved considerably. I've focused on the best notes and disregarded the worst. Too bad my bottle is almost gone! Bottle kill on 12-15-23. This is the end, beautiful friend This is the end, my only friend The end of our elaborate plans The end of everything that stands Adding the right amount of water made this delicious. I will miss it.

The initial smell has a touch of a nail salon, which isn't one of my preferred scents. It's quite potent on both the nose and the tongue. Beneath the nail polish notes, there's some banana caramel, vanilla, apricot, and perhaps black cherry. The taste reveals ethanol, grape soda, chocolate, green banana, and vanilla, concluding with a rather bitter finish. This is somewhat disappointing. To be clear, it's a solid rum, but it doesn't reach the standard of other recent FS releases I've had, and it's not a great deal.

This rum is incredibly fiery. I had to let it chill for a significant time before I could drink it, and even then, the taste was subpar. While not the absolute worst rum out there, considering the cost, it's a disaster.

Very intense! A cube was needed to mellow it and reveal the rum's flavors.