Foursquare Port Cask Finish

Brown sugar

I picked up Foursquare Distillery Port Cask Finish in the Barbados airport after a whirlwind adventure with a close friend of mine. Admittedly, I bought this bottle on the label alone, since it sounded interesting to a whisky-biased person like myself. Aged in Bourbon barrels for 3 years and Port barrels for 6 years, this batch was bottled in June 2014. My initial nosing impression is "Helllllloooooo port!" With a couple of flashes of roasted coffee and tobacco, this aroma makes way to orange marmalade, settling to spiced raisins.  This rum is very smooth and rich. Cola, cinnamon, nutmeg, light pepper and oak give you a big hug as it coats the tongue. When I drink this, its nuanced tropical fruit sweetness transports me back to the island. I can taste memory flashbacks of enjoying fresh coconuts and bananas on the beach. If I close my eyes, I can hear gentle waves caressing the shore. This has a dry, tannic finish that is actually quite enjoyable.  This is a great sipping rum that I wouldn't dare to mix. I highly recommend this to whisky drinkers who don't mind a sweet flavour profile in their spirits.  8.75/10

The nose is standardly rummy without being sweet. The palate has a lot of fruit and minerals up.front with some light caramel to it. There are some spices, which do include cinnamon, but are not terribly harsh. Some Earth and smoke flavors are present, but they are subdued. The whole thing is balanced enough, but it's also quite bland. It's quite weak, which is pretty disappointing. There is a bit of a bitter note, which balances the sweetness but is too monotone. There's a little coffee tartness that balances with some chocolate and the wood well, but the alcohol still shows. There's something vanilla and the mineral flavor brings in something generically fruity, but it's not terribly exciting. A hint of butterscotch makes it in. It's just not punchy enough to be really enjoyable. It's balanced enough, but despite being a great mixer, it isn't an exciting sipper. The flavor is quite solid, but just way too subdued.