Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Foursquare Principia 2008
Sherry-soaked from the first sniff: dark chocolate, toffee, raisins and coconut over a dry, spicy oak backbone. Members love the fruit and the classic Foursquare coconut-vanilla-bourbon core, but at 62% the alcohol runs a bit hot and, for many, isn't fully tucked in. Several rank it near the bottom of Velier's Foursquare run, though even they call it more than fine.
The community says- Rich sherry fruit
- Dark chocolate, coconut
- Alcohol not integrated
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Buy Velier Foursquare Principia 2008:
Compare all 7 shop offers from 263.36 €
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 taste?
Aggregated from 140 community reviews.
Sherry-heavy, intense Foursquare with hot edges A rich, sherry-forward Foursquare with dark chocolate, dried fruit and long oaky finish. Most enjoy it; the recurring gripe is a sharp, not-quite-integrated 62% alcohol.
Foursquare and sherry-cask fans who like intense, cask-strength sippers
Anyone put off by hot, high-proof alcohol or wanting a soft, easy pour
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
47 of 140 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.7 sits in the “Very good” band. 99% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
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Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
6% rate it between 6 and 8. 19 selected write-ups from 140 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Holy moly the claps neatly! But very horny and intense. Strong mocha, vanilla bean, raisin, discreet sherry and rum raisins, dark chocolate with fleur de sel and espresso beans and then again coconut and banana chips. Only the alcohol could be better integrated. Aromatically, however, it is really fun!
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 Leo Krüper
One of my favorite daily sippers.
Review by zabo
The Swell and the Barbados 2006 Flag Series have been added to the big crosstasting of the Velier bottlings. Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to get a sample of the 70th. In general, it can be said that there were no major differences on the nose when flying blind. However, there are recognizable differences in the taste itself. In my opinion, however, three clearly stand out and bring up the rear.
Review by Serge
Tasted at Kirsch at the Village in Nuremberg. It was the last dram in the bottle and may have been open for a while. So for me it lands in the Foursquare midfield. But I'm more in the bourbon or cognac finish camp with Foursquare anyway.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... 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 Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
As a Foursquare skeptic, I can only say: Tastes amazingly good to me! A great rum with bite, character and depth. Gladly again. 😋
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is a very complex rum with a high proof that unfortunately shines through too heavily. A few stops of water will balance the alcohol a bit better. Less intense then Triptych but an interesting rum none the less.
Review by Benoit Mahe
A rum that lacks balance. Too woody and closed for my taste. The alcohol lacks integration. Apart from the Patrimonio, which I don't know, this is the one I liked least of the Velier-Foursquare series.
Review by TheRhumhoe
Un Foursquare très gourmand et expressif au nez, avec un fruité présent (noix de coco, papaye, fruits rouges, raisin sec), un boisé sec mais bien fondu qui accompagne le chocolat au lait, le moka, les noisettes grillées, les épices douces, le tabac et les notes toastées. Les notes pâtissières de caramel et de toffee s’opposent aux notes d’alcool, assez fermes même après aération. Un nez typique en soit mais exubérant. Très puissant en bouche, le Foursquare est quelque peu alcoolique malgré les saveurs très gourmandes des épices, de la noix de coco, du chocolat noir et du toffee. Le boisé épicé, le cuir et le tabac se joignent aux fruits secs pour un profil plus musclé. Les 62% sont quand même bien présents. Enfin, une longue finale chaude et pimentée, sèche et alcoolique vient prolonger la puissance en bouche, avec quelques notes de caramel, de vanille, de noisette et une touchée salée. Les notes fruitées et boisées complètent l’ensemble, assez intense et vivifiant. Un Foursquare parmi les plus lourds et les plus intenses, qui tire son épingle du jeu avec ses quelques saveurs originales et sa gourmandise.
Review by Stefan Persson
Tasted this rum at my recent visit to the Foursquare distillery after having been guided around by Mr. Richard Seale. The nose is fruity, woody, roasted, nutty and spicy with scents of coconut, papaya, raisins, chocolate, caramel, toffee, tobacco and hazelnuts. At the palate it’s intense, full bodied, heavy, rich, fruity, spicy, woody, warm and roasted with flavors of coconut, dried fruit, vanilla, toffee, dark chocolate, leather, salt and tobacco. The finish is long, warm, spicy and dry.
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. Plenipotenzario stands out for me with complexity. Very cool. But the clear winner is 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 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 Sebastian Kornett
Super delicious Foursquare
Review by Agricoler
Day 15 Sample de Luxe Calendar: Wonderful Foursquare compared to the Sovereignity much better. More coconut and a much more concentrated raisin flavor. A great Foursquare quintessence just like the Nobillary.
Review by Basti
Closed nose with the typical FS aromas and a present sherry note. The taste continues in the same way. Alcohol very well integrated. Overall a very good Foursquare, but does not stand out significantly from the ECS range.
Review by Rowald Sweet Empire
Fierce cask/wood driven young Foursquare. Sherry influence is very noticable, but the bourbon cask had some say in it too. Good wood management! Lots of dried (red) fruits:dates/raisins. Coffee/dark chocolate. Thick stuff. Different from most of the Mark releases (Also Empery). Lots of oak/wood.
Review by Frank
A full and beautiful bouquet. Fruity spicy, like a brandy. A metallic freshness with lime and slight acidity of dried and sulfured currants. A woody, slightly toasty spice with vanilla and tobacco. And fruity with cherry and coconut. I really like the nose.Intense and powerful on the palate. Spicy and somehow bitter-salty-sweet. Again this metallic with lime zest. And some dried fruit, apricot, currant, raisin. A little peppery with nutmeg vanilla and almond but also sweet like toffee. Very nice.Round , intense, great rum.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
Au nez, pas de doute, il y a eu un long passage en Fûts de Sherry, cela me rappelle bien évidemment le HSE Fino & Olorosso. Le sherry est omniprésent mais on retrouve des notes d’amandes, de tabac, de fruits (banane-orange), le nez est plutôt prometteur et on sait qu’il y a des watts derrière tout cela ! C’est fruité à souhait, on veut s’y plonger ! L’attaque est plutôt alcooleuse, aie, on est mal parti ! L’alcool et le sherry prennent trop le dessus sur l’attaque. Mais la suite n’est que gourmandise … ouf ! Effectivement, le milieu de bouche tire sur les fruits tropicaux.
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Expert reviews
4 critics scored it, averaging 8.5/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Barrel Aged Thoughts
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Expert review by Le Blog À Roger
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Expert review by Rob Bauer
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Expert review by In Spiritus Veritas
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Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →The sherry finish which may put some off is not at all overbearing. It just adds an extra layer of complexity and intensity to the rum. This isn't as sweet as the Zinfandel and Port Cask rums. Its much more in keeping with the 2006, Triptych and Criterion. I'm going...
Expert review by Rum Diaries Blog
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Expert review by The Dunder Hut
This, per usual brings us the foursquare trinity of coconut bourboncask and vanilla. Added with some sherry casks an you come to a rather pleasant experience. Foursquare has this gift of delivering such a consistent experience
Details about Velier Foursquare Principia 2008
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Barbados, bottled by Velier, at 62%.
Community purchases
503 bottles logged by 350 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
11% opened, 18 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 cost?
Community paid 125–276 €.
Current best price: 263.36 € – within 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+ →
503 purchased · 150 tasted · 66 wishlist · as of
About the Foursquare distillery
The Foursquare distillery is located in Barbados. Rums from Foursquare have been reviewed 14,076 times with an average of 8.3/10.
To Foursquare →You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Velier Foursquare Triptych
Velier Foursquare TriptychWoody, balanced Foursquare with dry spicy finish
Velier Foursquare Patrimonio 2004
Velier Foursquare Patrimonio 2004Sherry-marked Foursquare, dry spicy finish
Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006
Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006Big, woody Cognac-cask Foursquare sipper
Velier Foursquare Destino 2003
Velier Foursquare Destino 2003Rounded, coconut-chocolate cask-strength Foursquare
Velier Foursquare 2006
Velier Foursquare 2006Rich, balanced Foursquare with Cognac-cask depth
Velier Foursquare Plenipotenziario 2007
Velier Foursquare Plenipotenziario 2007Complex, dry, fruit-forward 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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