Foursquare 11 year 2004 cask strength (59%)

N: sultanas and spiced golden syrup, oranges and yellow plum, dandelions and dead grass

P: pretty much follows: golden raisin and golden spice and (slightly medicinal) orange and dead yellow flowers. A bit hot, neat. With three drops of water: the edge is taken off the heat, and there’s a bit more emphasis on spice and flowers relative to fruit, this actually reminds me a little of Folle Blanche brandy

86

Foursquare 15 year 2005 The Colours of Rum Ed. 2 (59.1%)

N: falernum, red plum and pear, cedar or redwood. With two drops of water: redder, more cinnamon, some cherry pit

P: earthy, brown, gingery spice lead over any of the fruit from the nose, and brown, spicy wood close in the finish. Wood and spice driven, not so fruity, but not too dark or tannic either, and medium sweetness. With water: even more of that thick, grainy brown spice, more definition in general, and quite textured in the mouth

84

Foursquare 19 year ECS XXXI Epilogue (57%)

N: continuing on that path toward darker, richer, woodier profile. Quite a lot of barky old bourbon wood, and the plums are black now, with black Concord grape too

P: the most woody tannins of the three, for sure. Relative to the Colours of Rum this has somewhat more fruit (again, black plum and very dark grape) and somewhat less spice. A couple drops of water help the fruit stand out from the wood, but it remains very oak forward

83

The 15 and 19 year bottles are woodier and more bourbon-adjacent, while the 11 year shows a lighter and more distinct golden rum character; it’s also just more complex.