Foursquare 2010 Exceptional Cask Selection XXI 12-Year

I love this high proof expression. I get Banana notes, toasted marshmallows, and candied pears... There is an amazing lip tingling proof and a long aftertaste which has tons of very buttery caramel. The heat is very smooth on the first sips but seems to get more intense as you drink. I tried to get a good handle on the nose and it's just way to high proof to get anything other than nasal torture!!! I picked this up for $90 and it's worth it at twice that. Lovely.

But not their best.60% -in nose I feel alcohol,only empty cup allows to smell a woody/bourbon scent. For me this one is little bit sweeter then similar bourbon ECS ,which I like.
I drink this rum with really small cube of ice.

The quality coming out of this distillery now is nothing short of staggering. Tell me where you can get this level of sipping spirit experience for similar money? The only downside is how limited it is, if you want to buy one off the shelf there is no comparison sadly as even Doorlys 14 doesn’t come close :(

Rich vanilla, spicy fruit, smooth despite high proof

We were some friends teaming up at Cane Rum Society in Stockholm to celebrate Foursquare Appreciation Day.
We started up with tasting of the four different ones seen at the added photo under lead of our friend the Swedish importer Lars Renbjer.
The third out was the 2010 (ECS XXI), a Single Blended Rum at cask strength (60%) consisting of pot still as well as column still rums aged in ex-Bourbon American oak casks.
The nose is initially filled with lots of vanilla and caramel thereafter it’s possible to recognize fruits as mango, pineapple and bananas together with hints of acetone and pepper.
At the palate it’s dry, soft and fruity. The pineapple, mango and pepper from the nose are still present, but also peach and cinnamon is recognizable.
The long finish is dry, peppery and oaky.
Overall a rather soft rum, despite the 60%, which can’t disappoint anyone that likes Barbados rum.
Picture: The four Foursquares included at the tasting at Cane Rum Society in Stockholm.

This is the highest proof I have tasted in my rum journey so far. Compared to other rums in I my cabinet it is dryer, woodier, and has a stronger initial bite. It drinks more like a bourbon than a rum. Being a bourbon drinker, I can appreciate the taste and balance. Excellent pour!

Vůně: pečené citrusy, lak, nádherná dřevitost
Chuť: kandované ovoce, koření, tabák, vznešená, sladká, dřevitá
Dochuť: ovocná, příjemně nakyslejší, dřevitá decentní, skvělá
Mně sedl. 9,5/10

Standard FQ quality, strong, full of flavor, tasty palate. Leaves pleasant wooden smell in the finished cup for a long time. Overall very elegant and slick rum.
Strong woody but relatively rounded palate with nice hints of bourbon or whiskey.
Nose - oak, alcohol and perhaps some nuts. (I AM getting nuts just from the smell!)
A great choice if you manage to get one cheaply.

As I has an open Doorlys 14, I was curious to see how they compare.

2010 : alcohol, complex fruit, touch of citrus and dark brown sugar. A subtle whiff of solvent.
Rising heat, gradually bringing layers of brown sugar. An edge of oak and char comes up, which follows into the finish, where the brown sugar re emurges.

The D14 is sweeter. The madiera overlaying the brown sugar and balanced by the varnish and oak. There's a richness, bordering on sickly, but then pulls back into a lingering balance.

The 2010 is much hotter, and caries subtle layers of complexity, it's more akin to D12 in its focus on molasses.
It tastes more grown up than the D14, but it's more challenging too, and demands a degree of contemplation.
But is it better?

The D14 is simpler, and sweeter, but richer too, with a depth the 2010 lacks, but the 2010 has layers, and feels like a glimpse of something next level.
I find it a bit more approachable than the 2009, and glad to have found a bottle, but it hasn't knocked it out of the park for me.

Foursquare 2010 Exceptional Cask Series is awesome. It hits all the right notes for me. Someone suggested it tasted alcohol. Bottled at 120 proof I would expect a little hint. I actually found this release to be a little less alcohol than my other favorite Redoubtable. It's great, enjoy.