This is a blend of pot and column still rums that were aged for a total of 14 years with 3 years in ex-Bourbon and 11 years in ex-sherry casks before being bottled at 62% ABV. So, a warning for those that drink this to proceed with caution as this drinks far hotter than that 62% suggests and my first nosing of it felt as if a black mamba snuck in my glass waiting patiently till I was in striking distance before jumping out to bite the hell out of my nose. Alas, I repeated this process multiple times as I kept adding water until after many drops of water, the mambas finally drowned which allowed for the flavors to emerge starting with a mix of suede, caramelized bananas and light nail polish remover then dark chocolate, musty grapes and toasted coconut followed by gooseberries, mango and sautéed apples that transitions to baking spices and polished mahogany furniture with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting sweet with a mix of creamy sweet tropical fruits before a mild bitter spice that quickly fades to suede, caramelized bananas and light bitter vegetal notes then dark chocolate covered raisins and toasted coconut followed by mango, cherries jubilee and sautéed apples that transitions to baking spices and polished mahogany furniture with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length light bitter vegetal notes, bananas foster, pineapple, mild black pepper and over steeped black tea. Overall, this is delicious rum that, for me, really needs water to be able to appreciate and unlock those enjoyable tropical fruits along with light vegetal notes, sherry and old wood but this isn’t as polished as I’d hoped from those 14 years of aging that suffers from a mild astringency and bitterness that throws off the experience. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the generous sample and this is a good start to my mini Foursquare series.