Foursquare Sassafras – Single Blended Rum – 61%
Stats: This is a single blended rum, meaning it came from one distillery (Foursquare) and is a blend of pot and column distillate. It was aged a total of 14 years (3 in ex-bourbon barrels followed by 11 in ex-cognac casks) and bottled at “Barrel Proof” (61%) in 2020. 6,000 bottles were produced by Velier in collaboration with Foursquare and I believe it was reserved for the EU and UK markets.
Background: I own probably around 20 different Foursquare expressions and had recently started reviewing them in order of “mark,” beginning with 2014’s Port and had intended to go chronologically. So far I’ve only made it to Criterion but I’m already taking a detour since I was grateful to get a sample of this from a fellow patron of r/rum Reddit and was eager to try it out.
Conditions: Consumed in one sitting. Drank neat in a Glencairn. Rested maybe 10 minutes before the first sip.
Nose: Caramel, dark brown sugar, lumber yard, vanilla
Mouth: Nice richness, hints of heat, oaky, chocolatey, stale coffee
Final Thoughts: This is a pleasant rum. Nothing inoffensive, but nothing really dynamic or spectacular is presenting itself to me. Perhaps it’s Foursquare fatigue, or maybe my taste buds are just off tonight, but I’m not feeling the hype that this release has warranted. I usually like to sit down with a rum over the course of multiple sessions to form a conclusive opinion, but based on this single ounce consumed, I don’t find this to be an essential rum.
My Rating: 3
My Scale:
1 – I don’t want this in my mouth ever again
2 – Best used for mixing
3 – Decent sipper
4 – Very enjoyable
5 – I’m buying a back up bottle
Austin Rum Society 