Foursquare Master Series, Edition No. 1 – Total Wine Concierge – 62%

Foursquare Master Series, Edition No. 1 – Total Wine Concierge – 62%

Stats: Limited Edition release sold exclusively through Total Wine stores of a pot and column blend of 12 year old rums aged in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks. Bottled at 62% ABV with no additives.

Conditions: Drank neat in a Glencairn over the course of several sessions. No water added. 

Nose: Maple syrup, baking spice, yeast, chlorine, Robitussen, Band-Aid

Mouth: Thick mouth-coating feel with a nice warmth. Prune juice, Fruit Roll-Ups, cherry soda, black pepper, firework smoke, raisins, heavy wood influence, powdered cinnamon, cigar, leather, toffee, mocha 

Final Thoughts: I’m not a huge fan of sherry-finished spirits and particularly was not fond of Empery or Hereditas. That said, the sherry influence on this bottle seems more subtle or well-integrated. The sulfur notes I usually detect on the nose are a little more medicinal/chemical here. The palate is where it shines for me though. This is supremely sippable and enjoyable.

My Score: 4/5

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

Truth is, I did buy a back up bottle. Two, in fact! The day I brought the first one home, I immediately popped the cork, took a sip, said “yep, that’s good,” jumped back in the car and grabbed two more bottles. So why not rate this a 5? Well, in just the year since this was released my outlook has changed. At that moment I felt the need to stock up before it disappeared. I no longer feel that urgency. Nor do I regret the purchases, as I’ve mostly killed off this first bottle and have enjoyed it and shared it with friends. But at the same time, with so many new and interesting rums coming to market lately, and with the reliability and frequency of Foursquare releases, why hoard them? If this were released today I would only buy one. I only have so much shelf space and have the utmost confidence that the next Foursquare release to come along will be worth grabbing.