Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection XXII Touchstone 2008 14yr 61%

"Overall a great Foursquare ECS rum. Mr Richard Seale have done it again. I tasted it the Swedish importer’s, Lars Renbjer’s, stand at the Stockholm Beer & Spirits Fair 2023. Touchstone is a molasses based double-aged pot- and column blended rum aged in ex-Bourbon and ex-Cognac casks for 14 years. It consists of two components. The first component, a 2008 ex-bourbon aged distillate which was filled in ten former Cognac Camus casks in 2020, then 12yo, to mature for almost 3 years more. The second component was aged for 5 years in ex-Bourbon casks and 9 more years in ex-Cognac casks."

"Give this rum time to breathe and you will be rewarded with a captivating experience that will continue to develop for a long time!"

"Tasted at the Pueblo del Ron Nuremberg 2024 trade fair. I also had to try this one, as I've been putting off my sample for some time. However, as I was able to take a bottle with me for 102€, I simply tried it on the spot. A good ESC that ranks in the middle of the ECS bottlings. Edit: It also makes a solid impression as a mixer."

"Round thing but no over highlight FS. Has something of. Dark chocolate with orange zest."

"Nice "once all" tasting with friends... quick while I still have senses.... Nose: caramel, some chocolate, coconut. Pleasant and classic Foursquare. Nothing outstanding in my view, but usual good quality. 8,4 Palate: round and coconut, soft, caramel, floral. Again, solid and clearly Foursquare. That's about as good as it gets. But it doesn't have to be. Just Foursquare. 8,4"

"Rather unspectacular, weak nose and quite sharp on the palate. Probably should have come out of the barrel sooner... Compared to other ECS at the lower end of the scale and not very typical FS character. //update: stick with the points, I don't like the strong cask influence here."

"#4299 14.10.2023 sitting at home raxing after a tough training yesterday and a trip across the border for our monthly shopping today. Another nice release but I think the prices have gone spiralling and I suspect many out there buy a lot to sell online afterwards. Nicely balanced almost subtle release. Fruity and fresh. The palate is also fruity with a nice floral touch. The finish is medium to long and fruity. Draws really nice curtains in the glass. The empty glass has a light smoky note and faint chocolate."

"In direct comparison with the Isonomy, the nose is much more restrained and one-dimensional. Coconut, vanilla, spices and wood are discreetly present. The palate is more on the woody and spicy side, even slightly bitter with some leather."

"Typische Foursquare-Aromen treffen auf kräutrige Tabak- und Schokoladennoten. Mir fehlt insgesamt etwas die letzte Finesse, auch die prägnanten grünen Aromen wecken bei mir subjektiv keine Begeisterungsstürme. Qualitativ gibt es aber nichts auszusetzen, der Alkohol ist für mein Dafürhalten angenehm integriert und schafft eine gute Süffigkeit."

"Dieser Rum liegt schwach auf der Karamell-/Fruchtseite, dafür stärker auf Holz, Gewürz, Bitterschokolade und Leder. Nur im Abgang kommt etwas Karamell für mich hinzu, weshalb der Touchstone zu unausgewogen für mich ist, um ihn in Richtung 9/10 zu bewerten. Nichtsdestotrotz hochwertig!"

"Un ottimo ECS. Naso molto interessante, fruttato e profondo. Al palato sa essere molto deciso ma anche delicato. L’invecchiamento in botti ex cognac lo ha ingentilito quanto basta. Uno dei miei ECS preferiti tra gli ultimi usciti!"

"Edit June 24: at the end of the bottle, I raised the overall score because it has revealed as a great sipper and one of the best ECS I've tried. Anyway, undeniably Sassafras is still better as a FS with cognac finish. Excellent finish, and the glass the day after is fantastic. On the other hand, nose is a bit too "standard" and the cognac finish increases the perception of alcohol while not adding as much as I expected having tied sassafras, which is definitely better. A good foursquare indeed, it might deserve an higher overall score, but the comparison with other foursquare made me keep my score a bit lower."