Foursquare 2007 Plenipotenziario Velier 12-Year

12y blend from a pot and column still. Could be very balanced juice, but it's still not very old. I usually prefer the 14y Foursquares.

Smell: Very nice dark and sweet Foursquare smell escapes from the glass. This indicates a very good bottling. Caramel, dried fruits, some Bourbon barrel with vanilla. Hazelnut with a little honey sweetness, heavy aromas of wood varnish and a little orange.
A little more earthy deeper in the glass. Here the typical Forusquare flavors are in a very good balance.

Taste: Sweet start with burnt sugar, dried fruit and orange zest. The sharpness increases and gives the Bourbon barrel with vanilla space. Hazelnut and heavy barrel aromas emerge, wood varnish develops. Orange zest explode and come with tannins, as if you were chewing on dry orange peel. The spiciness tingles on the palate, the finish is sharp with orange zest, burnt sugar, earthy barrel aromas and dried fruits.

Aftertaste: orange zest, dried fruit and burnt sugar, hazelnut

Conclusion: an excellent bottling. Very sweet, but also spicy and with heavy aromas. I would say it came out of the barrel at the right time. Very nice balance and quite complex.
Except that I was not surprised by the flavors, this bottling offers everything.

Overall rating: 92 points

Sweetness: 2.5 / 5
Fruit: 3/5
Sharpness: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Value (130 €): 4/5