Foursquare Sagacity

Unadulterated by filtering, added sugar or color, this exquisite brown liquid is maple syrup in tincture. Seen under kitchen lights, a stream of barrel and/or cork particles scintillate within the bottle. That's very heartening as it reminds me of the unfiltered state of a Glendronach scotch - while - at the same time, far removed from the cloudy louche of a finished Belle Meade bourbon. The nose surprisingly resembles a very sweet bourbon, layered with unripe banana peel notes, eventually seguing into honey and brown sugar. After a sip or two, a burnt sugar note arises along with a charcoal backing. The palate is as @Cornmuse reviewed (thank you for your dead-on notes) is, "banana, nougat, coconut" and brown sugar, before a bourbon-like mouthfeel takes over. The finish of "bitter coffee bean" is right on as well, together with slightly green banana. At this point, I confess - unsweetend aged rums don't jibe with me (and I don't really intend to change that). Still, I recognize the workmanship, the degree of maturation, and the quality behind the make up of this distillate. Rum aficionados should find this expression a worthy addition to any liquor cabinet.

I am not experienced with many high quality aged rums. Among the best I've had is a prized bottle of Appleton Estate 21, left from a purchase of several made years ago while traveling to Jamaica. I've enjoyed perhaps a handful of other brands on that same level of quality over the years, but until now I really haven't explored the category. 2021 will see that change. This seemed like a nice place to start the journey. Sagacity is a 12yr single blend, which is an unique concept for a whisky guy. A single blended rum has both pot still and column still rums from the same distillery blended together prior to aging. Some of the blend is aged in ex bourbon casks, some in ex madeira casks. Then those aged elements are blended to make the final product. Sagacity is also a pretty interesting name for a limited edition rum. Sagacity is the quality of being wise or having good judgment and I think buying this bottle showed both! In a word, wow! I tasted this neat from a glencairn. The bottle has been opened for about 2 weeks. The pour is a lovely light walnut and it shows significant sheeting on a swirl. The nose isn't immediately amazing. It takes a little time and some exploration to get beyond a dollop of sweet caramel and some wet wood. After a bit of air I get maple syrup on French toast with butter, a little meatiness, barrel wood, over-ripe fruit and a hint of brine. It's a heck of a trip! On the tongue this is just a delight. Everything the nose hinted at is richly delivered. I definitely get banana, nougat, coconut, a bit of sour and traces of ginger. There are notes of dark cacao, and a trace of bitter coffee bean. The mouthfeel is thick, oily and sweet with a candy-like after coat. This is quite decadent. I feel out of my depth trying to find fault, but in comparison I think this has just a touch of ethanol thinness.and is lacking the last word in the mind-boggling complexity I've enjoyed in the AE21. That's about all I can say to justify not giving this a perfect score. This is a fabulous dram, full stop. I'm beyond thrilled this is my introduction to rum in 2021!

Definitely taste the banana, long lasting finish with a prominent ginger. Wonderful sipping rum by itself or on the rocks. Definitely wouldn’t use it for mixing, it’s too rich.