FourSquare Rum Tasting (February 29th, 2024)
This is our 2nd brand specific Rum tasting. We chose FourSquare Rum, since it’s my favorite rum, in the whole world. I like it so much I even went to see the distillery in Barbados. The bottles in question were;
| TT Label | Description | Aging | Proof | Rating | Price (USD$) |
| F | Dominion Series Edition #2 (PCS) LCBO | 12 yrs | 96 | 8.5 | $75 (CAD$) |
| A | Indelible | 11 yrs | 96 | 8.4 | $85 |
| D | Sovereignty | 14 yrs | 124 | 7.6 | $130 |
| B | 2009 (annual release) | 12 yrs | 120 | 6.8 | $100 |
| C | 2010 (annual release) | 12 yrs | 120 | 7.0 | $95 |
| E | Covenant | 18 yrs | 116 | 8.0 | $150-$160 |
| G | Touchstone | 14 yrs | 122 | 7.8 | $150 |
| H | Crisma (Rum Cream) | 34 | 7.7 | $40 |
FourSquare is not available in Canada, with the exception of the Dominion Series annual release done in conjunction with the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I therefore only did the pricing in USD.
We were tasting their most exclusive product line, FourSquare Exceptional Cask Series (ECS), there was one bottle from the Private Cask Series (PCS), the one released in Canada. FourSquare also makes Doorly’s, R.L. Seale, and a few others.
This might help understand their product line, from an aging vs finishing, comparison.
We had 17 people on the call, 15 voted, two groups just consolidated their votes. We had 3 new participants on the call, this is a fun one to start with, lol. Another 4 weren’t able to take part, for various reasons.
In terms of people trying to ‘guess’ which is which, based on the tasting notes. The tasting notes were from different sources, I included 3 different sources, and my personal tasting notes. This amounted to 16 pages of tasting notes, ya, a lot. Marco got 4 right, and it was the first 4 bottles, this was the highest score this tasting, and impressive, given how they’re all the same ‘juice’, and it’s only aging, and finishings that discern the different bottlings. It sounded like he had ‘E’ right, but he changed his guesses on the last few..unfortunately.
I have to say, I wanted to do this tasting for awhile, and I’m happy it was well attended, I am sad that most participants seem to truly like the lower proof rums.. I was hoping to have a few converts to my favorite, the cask strength rums. Although, in their defense, in FourSquare’s case, even the ‘lower proof’ rum, is 96 proof.
The Winners!
The clear winners were the two lower proof rums. Dominion Series Edition #2, was 1st with 8.5, then a close 2nd, was Indelible with 8.4. In 3rd was Covenant, one of FourSquare’s latest releases, and their oldest release at 18 yrs, and 116 proof, so maybe there is hope.
1st Place (8.5) $75 CAD
2nd Place (8.4) $85 USD
3rd Place (8.0) $150 USD
The next Tasting will be Irish Whiskey, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
The Survey Results
| A-Ind | B-2009 | C-2010 | D-Sov | E-Cov | F-DS | G-Touch | H-Cris | |
| John H | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Frank M | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Martin | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Adam | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Stephane | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | |
| Alison R | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Marco M | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Woody P | 8 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Paul | 9 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 9 |
| Collin A | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 |
| Bob S | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Rose H | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Hannah | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Allison C | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| Diane | 9 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 8 |
| Total | 126 | 102 | 106 | 114 | 120 | 127 | 117 | 108 |
| Average | 8.4 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.8 | 7.7 |
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