Foursquare 2006 Sassafras Released by Velier 14-Year

The release of Sassafras was really frustrating. It was hard to get it, at least without a large network of rum friends. At Rumundco it flew out of my shopping cart during the checkout process because it was already out of stock.

Smell: The rum starts very aromatic with a pleasant and dark sweetness of burnt sugar and honey. It seems more harmonious and balanced than the usual ECS releases to me. Aromas of cloves, leather and orange zest are embedded in the sweetness. It is so harmonious that it's difficult to separate the aromas. Then I notice dried fruits and a very pleasant oak aroma. In the background is the typical Foursquare hazelnut with some vanilla. In this case, the hazelnut is quite unobtrusive. A really great nose with an excellent balance.

Taste: At the beginning I notice a little bit too many tannins. The palate gets used to it after about three sips. Then the rum starts sweet and mild with caramel sweetness and dried fruits. I also notice a honey sweetness and oak. In the middle it becomes spicy, tart and dry (astringent). Here I noticing orange zest with spices such as cloves and nutmeg. After that, hazelnut and oak develop with tannins on my palet. Some leather is noticeable shortly before the finish.
The finish is quite mild with little spice and of course still sweet. I feel some mint, orange zest and leather with tannins. A dry and sweet mouthfeel remains.
In the aftertaste there are some mint, leather and orange zest with a little oak.

Conclusion: This is a complex and at the same time very harmonious rum, which did not make the tasting easy for me, but it offers an exciting taste experience. I think it's excellent for a 14 years old rum. I like rum with cognack barrel aging. Velier has again managed to deliver in the usual or outstanding quality.

Overall rating: 92 points

Sweetness: 3/5
Fruit: 2.5 / 5
Spice: 2.5 / 5
Complexity: 4/5
PL (200 €): 3.5 / 5

Aroma is full of dry fruits. Taste is very complex, starting with dark fruits, after a bit of oak and vanilla. Aftertaste is long and oaky with hint of pepper. Good Foursquare, but overpriced in comparison with ECS serie.

If you like Foursquare this is no doubt one of the best so far. In my own opinion not better than Triptych but close to Destino.

A classic Foursquare feel. Strong nose. Burned Caramel, dried fruit/abricot, raisins, dates.
Good balance between nose and taste. I sense some spices as well. Really interesting and hands up for the new FS in Town

Nose: pickles, cabbage, fruit loops, unicorns, natural gas, cement and a hint of big bird.

Palate: Nuclear sub marines, octopus, gravel, some honey, ahhh nuts...

Honestly, this rum is amazing. I can’t place one 20th of the notes listed in the review above, as this is truly overwhelming at my level of experience. It tastes wonderful. It’s powerful and decadent and well worth having a bottle if you can get one.

I’m on my third tasting of this rum and it continues to impress yet it’s hard to define.
It’s obviously rum, it’s strong and the aftertaste and burn stay with you far longer than any rum I’ve tried.

There’s so much going on, the first review may be accurate, but I can’t tell. Perhaps in time I’ll be worthy.

Buy some!

Would give a 10, but as stated above, it’s confusing to me and I actually prefer other rums to this. I acknowledge my own limitations. :)

Outstanding rum that backed its sassafras name as aromatic and flavorful putting dark dried fruits, berries, tropical fruits, and spices together with a unique earthiness, cherry cola and root beer floats. Scary part is I tasted this side by side with Foursquare 2006 which was an earlier Velier Foursquare cognac cask release and that one was even better as it had many dark tasting notes similar to those of first fill Sherry cask whiskies.

Nose: Walnuts, Cherries, Bananas, Coconut, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Honey, Nutmeg, Rancio, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Papayas, Guava, Lavender, Cookie Dough, Coffee, Minerals, Vanilla, Root Beer Float, Figs, Pineapple Syrup, Peaches

Palate: Raspberries, White Chocolate, Raisins, Oranges, Cherry Cola, Sultanas, Leather, Pepper, Cinnamon, Tobacco, Bananas, Coconut, Root Beer Float, Lavender, Milk Chocolate, Molasses, Grass, Maple Syrup

Finish: Milk Chocolate, Strawberries, Cherries, Raspberries, Dates, Figs, Prunes, Pineapples, Mocha, Coconuts, Bananas, Honey, Spearmint, Leather, Tobacco, Cloves, Nutmeg

taste - 10/10
smell - 10/10
sweetness - 7/10
price/value rating - 5/10

Finally sampled FS 2006 Sassafras and am really amazed! Another first rate rum originating from the FS rum distillery. Have NEVER been disappointed by FS products yet (even if this one is bottled by Velier). Another “10”

On my top there is still Plenipotenziario, and Patrimonio, however this is right next to them. So nice and round dry fruits. It is hard to get it for acceptable price but... you will not regret it. It is level up from FS ECS line and two levels above anything else I have tried so far from Barbaros. I say that every body who loves rum, should try at least this line of FS from Velier.

J aime bien cette. Distillerie
Foursquare Sassafras est un rhum de mélasse de La Barbade. Il s’agit d’un single blended rum, soit un rhum issu de deux modes distillations différents, au sein d’une même distillerie. Comme à son habitude, Foursquare assemble des distillats de colonne et des distillats de pot-still avant même la mise en vieillissement.

What a wild ride. After sampling several classic Foursquare rums at the distillery I had the opportunity to enjoy a dram of this Velier release. If I was blindfolded I would not have known it was Foursquare. Only a few years in bourbon barrels balance time in Cognac barrels. Nice scent with very strong alcohol burn on the backside. But truly exceptional.