Velier Foursquare Fidelitas

 Very pleasant on the nose with dark berries, red fruits and caramel. On the palate the Marsala finish mingles with the woody/cask notes, which are definitely present. All in all this bottling is very well balanced and of high quality as you would expect from Velier‘s FS bottlings. Yet for me it cannot make it into the top bracket as it lacks a distinct character to make it truely stand out from the overall high level of FS bottlings.

 The latest Velier Foursquare release and the oldest 100% tropical aging Foursquare to date. 20y incl. 1y Marsala finish naturally bring a lot of wood with them. The usual sweetness of coconut, banana, chocolate & co. takes a back seat here and is replaced by tobacco, sulphur, leather, intense roasted aromas, plus red and dark berries, black pepper, slightly burnt coconut chips and intense tannins from the Marsala wine finish. This makes it much less inviting on the nose and palate than I am used to from FS. Personally, it is too astringent for me and the alcohol is not perfectly integrated despite the "only" 55%. But this could also be due to the dominant tannins. All in all, an exciting new release but definitely not one that I would need a bottle of. I much prefer the Absolutio and Plenipotenzario in comparison! Unfortunately, my expectations were not completely met here.

 I'm still torn as to how I should classify this bottling. First of all, it's whining on a high level, because it's really good. Personally, I don't like the finish quite as much. It's not so dominant that it overpowers everything or is extremely present, it actually harmonizes quite well, but I'm not quite as taken by it as by Absolutio or Equidem. It wouldn't necessarily be worth it to me to have to hunt it down and stock up on a few bottles. I'd rather have another Plenipotenziario for 25€ less.

 Tasted in parallel with the Equidem. Surprisingly, the Fidelitas is much fruitier on the nose, despite being aged for 6y longer. The Equidem has a completely different profile with more roasted aromas and barrel influence. The nose of the Fidelitas is overall very inviting with lots of fruit, spices, wine, pastries and also a slight floral touch. I like it very much and it reminds me (without direct comparison) a little of the Plenip. There is definitely a lot to discover here. Very balanced and palatable on the palate. Dried fruit, grapes, caramel, vanilla, coconut. Again, it's hard to believe that it has spent 20 years in a cask. All in all, a very good bottling and probably even reasonable for its age. For me personally, however, it is simply too expensive for an FS - which (surprise) does not stand out from the crowd.

 Incredible rum, ultra ultra gourmand very pastry!

 fantastic rum, perfectly balanced, delicate, as if I were eating a cake. very long finish

 Typical Foursquare profile, but with relatively little coconut impact, instead nice vanilla and toffee sweetness and balanced wood influence. Somewhat powerful alcohol on the palate, but the overall profile is very pleasantly balanced. The long maturation is good for the Foursquares. A very successful release.

 Great rum!

 Unexpectedly soft and round, and complexity grows every so subtly the longer it’s in the glass. The Marsala cask introduces a nuanced soft sweetness which is delicious! Ultimately this is a standout release from Foursquare. Difficulty in finding this bottle retail was a challenge, but I was fortunate enough to grab a bottle before it inevitably becomes too expensive on the secondary market.

 The Marsala becomes noticeable through deliciously sweet notes with cookies, berries, dried fruit, vanilla ... not a unique Foursquare. Not by a long shot. But still at a high level and easy to drink. You can buy it, but you don't have to.

 Wow, that's an interesting FQ. There's a lovely smell of age and wood in the aroma and actually in the blank I wouldn't guess FQ but the hints are there. In the taste it's beautifully sweet and madeira smells a lot but not disturbingly so:) at the same time medium length finish with typical wood.