Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006
"An den Sassafras muss man sich etwas rantasten," one member puts it — give it 30-45 minutes and it opens up. The 11 years in Cognac casks push dried apricot, prune and coconut over the classic Foursquare frame of vanilla, caramel and dark chocolate. At 61% it runs big and woody, with charred oak and spice on a long finish. Divisive: adored by many, "too much wood" for some.
The community says- Cognac-cask depth
- Dried fruit, coconut
- But: Very woody
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006 taste?
Aggregated from 223 community reviews.
Big, woody Cognac-cask Foursquare sipper Most rate it near the top of the Velier Foursquares — rich, spicy and Cognac-marked. The recurring catch: heavy oak and heat that need patience, and it doesn't quite match the hype for everyone.
Foursquare fans who like dark, woody, Cognac-influenced sippers
Anyone who dislikes heavy oak or higher ABV heat
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
97 of 223 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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Velier Foursquare Raconteur 2006
8.8/10185 €
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How is Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.8 sits in the “Very good” band. 98% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
96% rate it 8 or higher. 44 selected write-ups from 223 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Foursquare has done it again. A nice intense and complex rum for those who like good rum. Wow. The nose is wonderful once rested for 15-20 minutes. Then you're almost overwhelmed by a nice bouquet of fruit and spices. In the back I find coconut and some charred wood. The palate doesn't disappoint considering the wonderful nose. Naturally sweet, lightly dry. Intense, balanced and complex all in one go..... Then you have fruit and spices followed by caramel and charred wood. The finish is very long and has plum and vanilla finishing with charred wood. Retasting today confirms it's a winner.
Review by cigares
Most helpful positive review
Equal parts varnish and tropical fruit, giving the nose a sense of balance. Lively and elegant, it reconciles opposites. A slight acetone gives it depth. On the palate, great elegance with mellow aromas. A vibrant, complex palate with noble bitters that give the rum character. The finish is long, and as soon as it's finished, you want to pour yourself another glass. The empty glass reveals a hint of dirt, as with the 2009. A very fine Foursquare, lively, elegant and deep.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Most helpful mixed review
... Foursquare je destilerka z Barbadosu produkujici uzasne rumy ke kazdodennimu popijeni. Je to rum, ktery oceni zejmena rumari, kteri maji plne zuby cukru a hledaji jemny, nasladly rum plny kokosu, vanilky, cokolady a karamelu. Proste prijemne a nijak agresivni chute.
Review by Oliver
Personally, too much wood and somewhat unbalanced.
Review by DomM
Velier FS (+ a fee spected other contenders) blind cross tasting: Honestly, the results here were very close. The Belier bottlings display a very high quality thourgout the range. Triptych and Pleni came out on top for me closely followed by Destino. I was somewhat surprised, that Sassafras and 2006 came out rather at the bottom, while I enjoyed both very much on their own. Raconteur also quite low in the ranking with Principia clearly at the bottom.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Exciting tasting. And overall also very tasty, although for me not quite as tasty as viellicht the reputation of the Foursquare / Velier bottlings is. With the Triptych, the wood influence was much too dominant for me. Positive memories of children's chocolate came through. With the Patrimonio, associations on the nose of Indian korma and watermelon. But sharp and dry. Principa I found very awesome at first. Nice fruit components but still FS DNA. But on the finish, the alcohol is too biting. Sassafras pleases me well, but is clearly woody. Plenipotenzario stands out for me with complexity. Very cool. But the clear winner is the Destino. Fruity, harmonious, complex and very tasty! From my memory also a tick better than the 2006. Whether he is worth the money that you have to take today to hand, however, I doubt.
Review by Johannes
Amazingly good Foursquare!
Review by zabo
Edit: Zum großen Crosstasting der Velier Abfüllungen haben sich noch der Swell und der Barbados 2006 Flag Series mit dazu geschmuggelt. Leider war es bis jetzt noch nicht möglich ein Sample vom 70th. zu bekommen. Im allgemeinen ist zu sagen dass es im Blindflug keine großen Unterschiede an der Nase gab. Beim Geschmack selber sind jedoch Unterschiede erkennbar. Nach meiner Meinung fallen aber drei deutlich aus der Reihe und bilden mit Abstand das Schlusslicht. Franconian Tasting Gang Leider ein wenig enttäuschend, wenn man schon mal den 2006er im Glas hatte. Danke @Flo1977 dass du 27,5m heim gelaufen bist um ihn extra zu holen. Aber irgendwas stimmt mit dem nicht, entweder war der zu lange offen oder er ist doch einfach gar nicht so gut.
Review by Benoit Mahe
A good Foursquare as we like them. The finish is of a superb greediness. A lot of pleasure but the woody and spicy flavors don't make it sickening. On the other hand the alcohol could be better integrated.
Review by Leo Krüper
Extrem gefälliger breiter Cognac FS. Mir gefällt er super und hat sicher das größte Allrounder Potenzial. Auch für Einsteiger geeignet.
Review by Giorgio Garotti
A foursquare masterpiece!
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Grundsätzlich ein solider Foursquare mit einer angenehmen Aromatik. Das cognac aging oder finish bringt zusätzliche Holz Aromen und Tannine mit ein. Der Alkohol könnte ein tick besser integriert sein. Ansonsten findet sich hier eine tolle Aromatik nach gerösteten Haselnüssen, gebranntem Zucker und Eichenholz, sowie dunkler Schokolade und verkohltem Leder. Könnte aber insgesamt deutlich ausgewogener sein.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,7:On the nose, the first impression we get is mostly woody with roasted notes like nuts, caramel, spices as cinnamon and some coconut. A molasses is vegetal, we scent a glue. On aeration, it becomes more interesting with burnt sugar, caramelized, dried fruits like apricots, raisins, citrus, there are tobacco and black tea, pleasantly balancing the notes. 9:On the palate, the attack is delicious with charred wood notes like caramel, nuts, pastry and tasty with dried fruits as on the nose, toasted coconut and citrus. It is very round and full-bodied. Resting brings some dirty notes, smokiness, bacon, baking spices and ripe mango. 8,9:The finish is long, dry and also tasty with charred wood notes, hazelnut is quite strong, chocolate, some leather, vanilla joins and prunes, other notes remain as on the palate. Edit:26.7.25
Review by Lukas Jäger
So, now also VSGB No.1 opened and the much-noticed Sassafras in the glass. With Foursquare and especially Barbados in general, I could never get excited so far. However, the Sassafras convinces me with a quite multilayered and complex taste, which provides mainly dark and spicy notes. The 15 years and probably especially the 11 in the cognac barrel make themselves quite noticeable. All in all in really good, but for me not great rum. Nevertheless, my highlight so far from Barbados.
Review by Christoph H.
Foursquare, a distillery I've found to be just ok so far and for good reason compared to other distilleries. I can't say the same for this one. DDL sends its regards beautifully! Here it comes dangerously close to my favorite distillery already. Dried fruit, orange peel, glue, polish, sweet notes like caramel and nicely integrated wood. All this I also often find again in DDL, here, however, long not so pronounced and complex. The palate is incredibly drinkable, sweet, intense, with pleasant tannins and a slight bitterness. Really beautiful rum!
Review by TheRhumhoe
A real sure bet among the Foursquare wines bottled in recent years. The nose is full and greedy, with sweet, pastry notes (caramel, toffee), chocolate and a fruity roundness marked by dried and exotic fruits. The woodiness, marked by polish, and the spices bring a fine balance to a nose that gains in aroma and intensity with age. The attack on the palate is opulent, rich with spices and wood, balanced by notes of sugar, caramel and pastry. Chocolate, dried fruit and coconut add roundness. The alcohol is well integrated, but its warmth is somewhat noticeable on the palate. The finish is long and warm, with cooked caramel, toffee, sweet spices, chilli, toasted oak, dark chocolate and hazelnut. Dried fruit and coconut linger on the palate. A fine selection by Velier, well-structured and well worth the release price.
Review by Joachim Guger
Really nice Foursquare nose, unfortunately the alcohol stings neat.In the mouth then very spicy and much too woody.From the taste profile really great, but the quality is compromised by alcohol and neat wood.
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
The best Foursquare I've ever had as a Foursquare skeptic. Very pleasing, especially on the palate, without this for me obtrusive typical Foursquare characteristics too much to emphasize. For me, therefore, also winner in direct comparison with the Principia often rated here on a par.Was very pleased to have made the acquaintance of this great rum. 👍
Review by Sebastian Kornett
Yes it is good! No it does not live up to the hype. He is more balanced in taste and finish by the 11 years Cognac fasst storage. More but also not. I'd rather buy two bottles of the ESC series. They make just as much fun.
Review by F.L.O.
My first high-priced rum from back in the day.... Typical Foursquare profile with developed roasted aromas, super integrated alcohol and delicious wood flavor. After many more Foursquares, it is still at the upper limit.
Review by Godspeed
Rankings of 6 Velier Foursquare from cross-tasting (sans 2006 & Destinos) 1. Pleni [Excellent deep foursquare profile that sets itself apart from the pack with a delectable tobacco note and a long pleasant finish] 2. Patrimonio [I love it. The most clearly Sherry-marked of them all and it’s just an ideal complex sipper. The finish cuts out slightly too early to make it top boy] 3. Triptych [intense, flavorful, and very solid but the profile is a little too molasses syrupy for my taste] 4. Raconteur [very good but just lacks a little bit of personality compared to the ones above. The finish is also noticeably shorter compared to the top 3.] 5. Sassa [great jumping attack out the gate but the slightly astringent aftertaste drags it down] 6. Principia [too sharp, alcohol less well integrated, still a more than fine rum of course] Kudos to Leo Tomczak for samplers
Review by Tim
Solider Foursquare mit runder und fruchtiger Nase. Keine wilden Überraschungen vorhanden, aber das muss auch nicht sein. Karamell, Gewürze, Rauch im Mund, Schokolade, Holz, dezent Frucht und nicht zu verkennen nussig. Lecker und angenehm, aber definitiv ein trockener und scharfer Rum.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
Tasted this a night in 2022 with good company. Extremely potent in the nose, where I got dried fruits, chocolate and a general fruity feel. In the notes it has citrus, a spicyness and oak-feel to it. Lingering aftertaste
Review by Rare Akuma
Had the opportunity to try a very small sample of this, so my review is based on an initial, rudimentary impression and a quick memorative comparison to similar profiles. On scoring I built in reasonable restraint in an attempt to not embellish, over- or understate the experience. Elegant profile that has superbly managed to layer the classic Foursquare richness with cognac influences creating something royal. Opens with dried fruits and coconut flakes, then harshly woody with a slight furniture varnish note. Full bodied, spicy and eventually intensely sweet with crème brûlée, crème fraîche, vanillapod and bresilienne. Ends in char and cinnamon-infused chocolate, followed by a remanifestation of cognac notes.
Review by mto75
tasted together with the Plenipotenziario. The Sassafras is aged 11 years cognac / 3 years bourbon barrel, the Plenipotenziario has spent its 12 years completely in bourbon barrel. On the nose I find the two very similar: vanilla, oak, dried fruit, likewise on the palate: burnt sugar, spice, tobacco, with a smoky finish. Both are really good, the Sassafras overall perhaps a little rounder, but for that there is the Plenipotenziario also still significantly cheaper to have.
Review by alex
It is very good. We feel a bit the watts, the alcohol could be better integrated. Very greedy, and complex. We find the usual markers of this distillery.
Review by Frank
Pleasant woody-spicy-fruity nose. Initially leather and cherry wood, then immediately fruity with cherry, coconut, a touch of orange and dried apricot. Slightly sulfuric and delicately vinegar. Soft, almost creamy toffee notes with honey sweetness. Back wood and vanilla with some nutmeg. Noticeably spicier and darker on the palate. Strong and full-bodied. Nutmeg, clove, plus some pepper. But also some vanilla, coconut, cherry and orange. Woody and nutty with a hint of marzipan. In the finish woody sweet, some cherry.He can what! The 11 years in the cognac barrel make the really strong!
Review by Jeremy Roger 🇫🇷
A very tempting nose! Typical foursquare notes. With a chocolate background. In the mouth it is more expressive! Very good and well marked. A nice selection ! A little bit of prunes on the finish.
Review by Martin Augustin
A very good representative from Barbados with typical notes. Overall very harmonious and round, yet also with a little more depth than the otherwise rather one-dimensional Barbados rum. In the nose slightly fruity after dried apricot, some wood and a lot of vanilla with light caramel. Vanilla and caramel are also found in the taste. The fruit is only slightly noticeable, but coconut and milk chocolate are more prominent. A really excellent daily sipper, but not a miracle of complexity.
Review by tojo
Sassafras is something you have to feel your way around. It has a nice nose. Taste-wise, a little airing does it good. Then spicy notes, vanilla, caramel and chocolate come through. 61% ABV he can not deny.
Review by Basti
Die Nase ist ziemlich verhalten. Getrocknete Früchte in Form von Rosinen, Schokolade, Vanille, Gewürze und Tee. Am Gaumen ein überraschen parfümierter Antritt. Dazu leicht florale Noten, Schwarztee und jede Menge Holz und Gewürze. Insgesamt relativ Fass-lastig, leicht bitter. Guter Foursquare, spielt aber für mich nicht ganz oben mit.
Review by TheJackDrop
Nez : Coco Rapée, amandes, un peu d’alcool type cognac, eau de vie, gros bois & tanins (un peu trop). Ça fait un peu sec. Puis avec plus d aération : sucre roux, caramel, cassonade. Plus agréable, mais pas si intense que ça. Bouche : plus gourmande, coco, fruits secs, épices, chocolat noir, léger café. Ça s’intensifie ensuite sur le poivre et clou de girofle. Finale : très longue, très épicée, cannelle, et un peu de chocolat noir. Un rhum complexe comme souvent chez Foursquare, et un peu moins consensuel que d’habitude peut être, mais pas inoubliable.
Review by Chris Copermans
Very balanced in the mouth, really tastefull. In the finish really dry, makes my mouth squeeze from dryness. Not my favorite feeling, but perfect with this rum.
Review by Thomas
Ingenious Foursquare. A little too much hype around this drop. Nice fruit, caramel and wood. Long finish. Simply beautiful.
Review by Righrum
An incredible rum, the cognac adds a lot to the profile. The nosing could last forever
Review by Jarek
Sweetness on the nose, fruity kick, dark chocolate finish, alcohol very pleasant.
Review by Roman Staroń
Bardzo zlozony
Review by Christoph
For me a disappointment considering how highly praised this rum was, basically the whole series. I taste a lot of caramel, vanilla, marzipan, brown sugar. I look for defined fruit notes in vain. I can not really warm up to this Foursquare.
Review by Schnubbii
An der Nase Vanille und Nelken, dazu entfernt leicht helle Früchte. Am Gaumen wirklich sehr rund, sehr fein und ausgewogen, auf jeden Fall einer der rundesten Foursquare mit der besten Balance, die ich bisher probieren konnte. Eine leichte Fruchtigkeit kommt dazu, die aber eher im Hintergrund bleibt und den Rum toll komplettiert. Das ist eine wirklich tolle und runde Abfüllung, die für mich ganz oben mitspielt.
Review by Mentalo
Die wenigstens Foursquare haben mir wirklich gefallen bislang. Der Sassafrass gehört auch nicht dazu, auch wenn man sagen muss, dass das qualitativ gute Rums sind. Der hat deutlich mehr Holz abbekommen. Dazu halt wieder Kokosnuss, Gewürze, Trockenfrüchte. Alkohol hätte auch etwas besser eingebunden sein können
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Foursquare just won't be my favorite distillery. It just lacks a bit of character for me. It's a round rum that's more on the woody side. Nice but not a rum I would buy.
Review by Simon Leroux
Foursquare is not a bad product, but it doesn't really stand out from the classic range.
Review by Double Barrel
I hope this one wil be even better than the 2006! Lot of wood and spices for the moment, a dark Foursquare with a huge concentration when just open. I have to wait another couple of monthes before coming back to it but i got a feeling that it will definitly be worth awaiting.
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Quite spicy but in a good way, some mustiness. Alcohol could be a bit better integrated, but overall quite enjoyable.
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Expert reviews
6 critics scored it, averaging 8.8/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by The Secret Rum Bar
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Expert review by The Auditor Reviews
Read full review →This is certainly an excellent expression of rum from Barbados. You get the strong classic notes I associate with Foursquare, toasted coconut, dark chocolate, a touch of nutmeg. But, there is a bit of jammy fruits here as well that is a interesting and different. It’s powerful in its expression while still staying true to Richard Seale’s version of Barbados rum. One of the best Foursquares I’ve had and up to this point, the best Velier Forusquare I’ve tried.
Expert review by RumRock
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Expert review by In Spiritus Veritas
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Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →Especially those lucky enough to be in mainland Europe. Quite what Brexit will mean for us in the UK - I'm not too sure. So I'm pleased I was given the chance to sample the first bottle which made it over here privately! Another exceptional Foursquare.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
What a banger. A really nice sip of good cask integration, sweetnes and foursquare bourbon cask. This really wants to love you and you want to love it back. Easily the best foursquare velier when it came out
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 133 € – 237 €
from 68 sales, latest 09/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 199 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Barbados, bottled by Velier, at 61%.
Community purchases
581 bottles logged by 368 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
11% opened, 28 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006 cost?
Community paid 160–272 €.
Current best price: 295.00 € – above the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+5 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
581 purchased · 232 tasted · 97 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Velier Foursquare Plenipotenziario 2007
Velier Foursquare Plenipotenziario 2007Complex, dry, fruit-forward cask-strength Foursquare
Velier Foursquare Triptych
Velier Foursquare TriptychWoody, balanced Foursquare with a dry finish
Velier Foursquare Patrimonio 2004
Velier Foursquare Patrimonio 2004Sherry-marked Foursquare, dry spicy finish
Velier Foursquare Destino 2003
Velier Foursquare Destino 2003Rounded, coconut-chocolate cask-strength Foursquare
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I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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