Aroma visualization from community tastings
Foursquare ECS XXII Touchstone 2008
What surprises people here is the cognac cask: this 14-year Foursquare leans drier and woodier than the usual coconut-vanilla house style, with orange peel, dark chocolate, nutmeg and leather. At 61% it runs hot — many reviewers say a splash of water or some rest opens it up. Tasters who love the ex-cognac casks rate it highly; a few find it tannic and a touch unbalanced.
- Cognac-cask depth
- Orange and chocolate
- Long woody finish
+10
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How does Foursquare ECS XXII Touchstone 2008 taste?
Aggregated from 135 community reviews.
Dry, woody, cognac-cask Foursquare at 61% A respected ECS most call very good but not top-tier. The cognac influence brings orange, chocolate and dried fruit, though the dryness, bitterness and 61% heat split opinion.
Foursquare fans who want the drier, cognac-cask side
Anyone wanting soft, sweet rum or who dislikes oak tannins
How is Foursquare ECS XXII Touchstone 2008 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict , 8.5 lands squarely in the "Very good" band. 98% 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.
Rum reviews
Selected write-ups from 135 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Based on 135 ratings
Review by Stefan Persson
Overall a great Foursquare ECS rum. Mr Richard Seale have done it again. I tasted it the Swedish importer’s, Lars Renbjer’s, stand at the Stockholm Beer & Spirits Fair 2023. Touchstone is a molasses based double-aged pot- and column blended rum aged in ex-Bourbon and ex-Cognac casks for 14 years. It consists of two components. The first component, a 2008 ex-bourbon aged distillate which was filled in ten former Cognac Camus casks in 2020, then 12yo, to mature for almost 3 years more. The second component was aged for 5 years in ex-Bourbon casks and 9 more years in ex-Cognac casks.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Round thing but no over highlight FS. It has something of dark chocolate with orange zest and a little black pepper. I think the cognac barrel comes out more harmoniously here than in the Dominus in comparison.
Review by Leo Krüper
Solid FS. Not worth 150€.
Review by BTHHo 🥃
Give this rum time to breathe and you will be rewarded with a captivating experience that will continue to develop for a long time!
Review by zabo
Tasted at the Pueblo del Ron Nuremberg 2024 trade fair. I also had to try this one, as I've been putting off my sample for some time. However, as I was able to take a bottle with me for 102€, I simply tried it on the spot. A good ESC that ranks in the middle of the ECS bottlings. Edit: It also makes a solid impression as a mixer.
Review by mto75
in the first impression on the nose already very fierce oak and tannins (have just also two freshly sawn oak slats here for the expansion of the rum cabinet, which are quite good for reference). With a bit of standing time, caramel and a nice butterscotch note come in. Spicy on the palate, coffee, but unfortunately quickly fades into a rather bitter note (tannins, tannins that were already so dominant on the nose?). For me, this ECS bottling is too unbalanced. A second chance there is then soon again ...
Review by Frank
Nice "once all" tasting with friends... quick while I still have senses.... Nose: caramel, some chocolate, coconut. Pleasant and classic Foursquare. Nothing outstanding in my view, but usual good quality. 8,4 Palate: round and coconut, soft, caramel, floral. Again, solid and clearly Foursquare. That's about as good as it gets. But it doesn't have to be. Just Foursquare. 8,4
Review by Tim
Dieser Rum liegt schwach auf der Karamell-/Fruchtseite, dafür stärker auf Holz, Gewürz, Bitterschokolade und Leder. Wobei an der Nase neben Orange eine weitere markante Frucht vorhanden ist, könnte Apfel sein. Nur im Abgang kommt etwas Karamell und süße Frucht für mich hinzu, weshalb der Touchstone bis dahin zu unausgewogen für mich ist, um ihn in Richtung 9/10 zu bewerten. Nichtsdestotrotz hochwertig!
Review by Alex1981
Eher unspektakulär, schwache Nase und ziemlich scharf am Gaumen. Hätte wahrscheinlich eher aus dem Fass gemusst… Im Vergleich zu anderen ECS am unteren Ende der Skala und wenig typischer FS Charakter. //update: bleibe bei den Punkten, der zu starke Fasseinfluss gefällt mir hier nicht so.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4299 14.10.2023 sitting at home raxing after a tough training yesterday and a trip across the border for our monthly shopping today. Another nice release but I think the prices have gone spiralling and I suspect many out there buy a lot to sell online afterwards. Nicely balanced almost subtle release. Fruity and fresh. The palate is also fruity with a nice floral touch. The finish is medium to long and fruity. Draws really nice curtains in the glass. The empty glass has a light smoky note and faint chocolate.
Review by Timo Groeger
Store visit Rhum Attitude Brussels May 2025. Taken along as a sample. A really solid Foursquare. The nose is predominantly spicy and woody, with a hint of leather. On the palate, in addition to wood and spices, there is also some cognac and bourbon.
Review by Basti
In direct comparison with the Isonomy, the nose is much more restrained and one-dimensional. Coconut, vanilla, spices and wood are discreetly present. The palate is more on the woody and spicy side, even slightly bitter with some leather.
Review by F.L.O.
Foursquare halt :-) Wie immer bodenständig, würzig, gut eingebundener Alkohol. PLV ist auch in Ordnung. Nachtrag: mit einer ECC Abfüllung >50% macht man in der Regel nie etwas falsch. Gilt auch für diesen hier. Keine Änderung an der Bewertung,
Review by ilRummista
Un ottimo ECS. Naso molto interessante, fruttato e profondo. Al palato sa essere molto deciso ma anche delicato. L’invecchiamento in botti ex cognac lo ha ingentilito quanto basta. Uno dei miei ECS preferiti tra gli ultimi usciti!
Review by Jakob
Typische Foursquare-Aromen treffen auf kräutrige Tabak- und Schokoladennoten. Mir fehlt insgesamt etwas die letzte Finesse, auch die prägnanten grünen Aromen wecken bei mir subjektiv keine Begeisterungsstürme. Qualitativ gibt es aber nichts auszusetzen, der Alkohol ist für mein Dafürhalten angenehm integriert und schafft eine gute Süffigkeit.
Review by abaker-rum
You start with a caramel, vanilla, fruity, and leather nose. The taste is immediately peppery, with wood, spice, and caramel. The finish is long with the continuation of the pepper, spice and caramel.
Review by w00tAN
In Nase eher zurückhaltend, dann geht’s würzig und vor allem Bitter vorwärts. Etwas unrund das ganze. Ist ein guter FS aber nichts was mich von den Socken haut, landet also nicht im Regal.
Review by Righrum
Edit June 24: at the end of the bottle, I raised the overall score because it has revealed as a great sipper and one of the best ECS I've tried. Anyway, undeniably Sassafras is still better as a FS with cognac finish. Excellent finish, and the glass the day after is fantastic. On the other hand, nose is a bit too "standard" and the cognac finish increases the perception of alcohol while not adding as much as I expected having tied sassafras, which is definitely better. A good foursquare indeed, it might deserve an higher overall score, but the comparison with other foursquare made me keep my score a bit lower.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
Waited for some time to try this. I find it to have long legs on the glass, and a nose of chocolate and dried fruits. I'm getting deep notes of berries, vanilla, dark chocolate, and hints of spicyness
Review by Beau de Vries
Honestly for me one of the most dissapointing Foursquare's so far. This was better 🤣
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
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 Rum nagykövet
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Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
"I am probably being far more critical than maybe I should be.......this is still a very good rum! If you can get a bottle, buy a bottle. At this point in time I would say that about any ECS release. As a footnote though - don't ignore their standard XO,..."Read full review →
Details about Foursquare ECS XXII Touchstone 2008
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Barbados, distilled by Foursquare, at 61%.
Community purchases
323 bottles logged by 229 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
10% opened, 13 emptied and repurchased.
What does Foursquare ECS XXII Touchstone 2008 cost?
Community paid €95–€150.
Current best price: €188.99 – 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+ →
323 purchased · 140 tasted · 49 wishlist · as of
About the Foursquare distillery
The Foursquare distillery is located in Barbados. Rums from Foursquare have been reviewed 13,816 times with an average of 8.3/10.
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Foursquare ECS XXIII Covenant 2005Tasting noteWoody, honeyed 18-year Foursquare sipper
Foursquare ECS XXV Equipoise 2009
Foursquare ECS XXV Equipoise 2009Tasting noteSpicy, oaky, classic Foursquare done well
Foursquare ECS XVIII Indelible
Foursquare ECS XVIII IndelibleTasting noteEasy, light Foursquare with Zinfandel red fruit
Foursquare ECS XVII 2009
Foursquare ECS XVII 2009Tasting noteEasy-drinking cask-strength Barbados, coconut and oak
Foursquare ECS IX Empery 2004
Foursquare ECS IX Empery 2004Tasting noteRich, sherry-led Foursquare with dry oak
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