Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Foursquare Principia 2008
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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
- Keep in mind: Alcohol not integrated
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Compare all 8 offers from 263.36 €
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Offers & prices
No shop currently delivers to Germany.
Auction results: 143–224 € (45 sales in 24 months, incl. buyer's premium, latest 09/2026). How the range is built ›
The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
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.
Aroma profileFoursquare and sherry-cask fans who like intense, cask-strength sippers
Anyone put off by hot, high-proof alcohol or wanting a soft, easy pour
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
49 of 141 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
Buying advice
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
Similar in style and available now.
Sweeter
Infinity Spirits New Yarmouth The Royal Cane Cask Company 19948.9/10 (72)310.41 €
Rated better
Albion El Dorado Rare Collection AN 20049.0/10 (298)330.00 €
Milder
Velier Foursquare Patrimonio 20048.6/10 (136)199.57 €
80 rated both: 28 scored it higher, 39 scored Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 higher, 13 gave both the same score.Similar rating, cheaper
Foursquare ECS XXV Equipoise 20098.4/10 (92)124.90 €
Fruitier
Foursquare ECS XXI 20108.5/10 (206)105.89 €
What does the community say?
141 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
36 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 141 ratings, including those without text.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful positive review
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 Richard Krupa
Most helpful mixed review
Horsi like Triptych, uz power strong
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 Pavel Spacek
... Foursquare is a distillery from Barbados producing amazing rums for everyday sipping. It’s a rum especially appreciated by rum lovers who are fed up with sugar and are looking for a gentle, sweet rum full of coconut, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. Simply pleasant and not aggressive flavors.
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 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 cigares
Rum Friendly Club, advent calendar, day 19. Pastry-like coconut sweetness on the nose with a herbal side. The Sherry cask is noticeable and adds even more sweetness. A slight glue note adds complexity. The palate seems simpler to me, more woody, more spicy, and the alcohol is less well integrated even though I was surprised by the still 62%! The coconut pastries come back in the finish. A nice, fairly long and balanced finish.
Review by Timo Groeger
Yeah, this one definitely has those good old Foursquare vibes. You can always bring it out, coconut is clearly recognizable here, but also vanilla, caramel, toffee, and dark chocolate hint at Foursquare.
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 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 TheRhumhoe
A very gourmand and expressive Foursquare on the nose, with present fruitiness (coconut, papaya, red fruits, raisins), a dry but well-blended wood that accompanies milk chocolate, mocha, roasted hazelnuts, soft spices, tobacco and toasted notes. Pastry notes of caramel and toffee contrast with fairly firm alcohol notes even after airing. A typical nose in itself but exuberant. Very powerful on the palate, the Foursquare is somewhat alcoholic despite the very gourmand flavors of spices, coconut, dark chocolate and toffee. The spicy wood, leather and tobacco join the dried fruits for a more muscular profile. The 62% is definitely well present. Finally, a long warm and spicy finish, dry and alcoholic, prolongs the power on the palate, with some notes of caramel, vanilla, hazelnut and a salty touch. Fruity and woody notes complete the whole, quite intense and invigorating. A Foursquare among the heaviest and most intense, which stands out with its few original flavors and its 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 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 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 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 Sebastian Kornett
Super delicious Foursquare
Review by Tim
A Foursquare essence with a sherry touch. This makes it nutty, chocolaty, and caramel-like. On the palate, not completely outstanding, as it's woody, spicy, burnt sugar, toasty. I always miss a bit of fruitiness in sherry-aged rums.
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 🇧🇪
On the nose, no doubt, there was a long passage in Sherry casks, which obviously reminds me of the HSE Fino & Olorosso. The sherry is omnipresent but you find notes of almonds, tobacco, fruits (banana-orange), the nose is quite promising and we know there are watts behind all this! It's fruity as desired, you want to dive in! The attack is rather alcoholic, ouch, we're off to a bad start! The alcohol and the sherry overpower the attack too much. But the rest is just indulgence... phew! Indeed, the mid-palate leans towards tropical fruits.
Review by Martin Ekrt
I can't remember when I tasted this for the first time. It was probably before I got hooked on Foursquare. I still consider them to be quality products, but the minimal differences in the fillings simply bother me now.
Review by Martin Spooner
Nice fruity coconut raisin nose. At this point, the sherry really smells good. On the palate, a nicely balanced story. The coconut, vanilla, and chocolate really harmonize well.
Review by Harald
Foursquare Distillery 2008 Velier Principia Distilled: 2008 Bottled: 11.2017 Aged 9 Years (3Y Ex-Bourbon, 6Y Ex-Sherry) 62% One of 5400 Bottles Molasses rum, 100% tropical ageing Color: Mahogany Aroma: Smells sweet and heavy of sherry and mon cherie. Oak with dark chocolate and toffee, sherry, exotic fruits and spices, e.g. nutmeg. Taste: Sweet and full-bodied after caramel, creamy in the mouth, but bites on the tongue. Strong and intense. Spicy and peppery with toffee, tobacco, chocolate and sandalwood. Red fruits in the background. Finish: Medium-long and dry. Woody and very spicy with lots of tannins. Conclusion: The finish isn't that great. Otherwise a super tasty Foursquare, as you would expect from Velier. Foursquare rums from the Exceptional Cask Selection and of course from Velier are going through the roof at Rum Auctioneer. Some people will be biting themselves in the a... that they didn't strike sooner. 88 points
Review by Cinci
Drank at The Auld Alliance in Singapore - lots of influence from wood and sherry cask, nuances of yeast and sherry clearly present. Lots of power, alcohol could be a bit better integrated. For the price range a bit short on the finish. (04/26)
Review by Righrum
Indeed a very good rum, yet enough similar to OB releases and without that notch above that other velier releases do have
Review by Roman Lelek
The color - dark red to brown.. The nose - for me I don’t smell the coconut so much but more vanilla, cherry or red fruits in general. The taste- quite complex and for someone could be too strong and harsh alcoholic, but later in the glass it is better…I fell spicy, oak, dried fruits toffee and woody tones. I like the long warm finish with dry woody, fruity tones.. Overall I like it, its strong powerful and complex rum, good choice for long winter evenings..
Review by Adrien B
First nose quite closed. Then very exotic fruity. Palate: spicy attack, very round, a smoky veil.
Review by Filip Šikula
Zlatá edice adventní kalendáře RFC 2025.
Review by Ondra RumRunner
Rum Friendly club kalendář číslo 19.
Review by Topher
Snagged a bottle at a rum auction due to the 6 years sherry. I haven’t found many Foursquare sherry cask aging for sale. It is intense in a good way. The sherry shines with vanilla lingering for a LONG oaky finish. Its flavor is a complex fruit medley. I’m excited to try this in a month and wouldn’t be surprised if I up the review.
Review by Henry Davies
Intense drop! Nose is all caramel and sherry with some dark chocolate. The mouth is woody, with caramel, and sugar. Finish brings spice, wood, and bitterness. There is a bit of wet cardboard early and some scrappiness on the integration but solid Foursquare. Not the top of the pile Velier
Review by Roman Staroń
Interesting but without revelation. For this voltaz is very delicate and in smell and taste.
Review by Michal Jurka
Nice combination of coconut, dried fruits, red fruits and sherry on the nose. With aeration creamy caramel comes forth. The taste is also richer in darker, bitter notes of coffee and dark chocolate. 6 years in Sherry did a great job here, very present but not overpowering.
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
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 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 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
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 Rum Diaries Blog
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Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
509 bottles logged by 354 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
11% opened, 18 emptied.
What does Velier Foursquare Principia 2008 cost?
Community paid 125–275 €.
Current best price: 263.36 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 183 €. Price history with 45 auction results in RX+ ›
+6 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
509 purchased · 151 tasted · 71 wishlist · as of
Details about Velier Foursquare Principia 2008
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Barbados, bottled by Velier, at 62%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Velier Foursquare Plenipotenziario 2007
Velier Foursquare Triptych
Velier Foursquare Sassafras 2006
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Habitation Velier Clarendon EMB 2010
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