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Four Roses

Boxing Day Bourbon

0 687

@talexanderReview by @talexander

26th Dec 2012

0

Four Roses
  • Nose
    23
  • Taste
    21
  • Finish
    21
  • Balance
    22
  • Overall
    87

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After a hectic (but wonderful) Christmas Day with my crazy family, I now have some quiet time on my own to taste this bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel. I originally opened it around the July 4 holiday for my office but am only getting to the tasting notes now (so consider that this has oxidized for almost 6 months).

Four Roses Single Barrel is the highest of the standard Four Roses offerings (not including the Limited Editions or those available only in Japan). Of course, those with different barrel numbers will taste slightly different from each other. This bottle is from barrel # 12-3Q from warehouse # NS and was purchased from the LCBO in Ontario (in case you want to try to find this particular one).

The colour is deep gold with yellow highlights. On the nose we have caramel, vanilla, chocolate and vanilla fudge, oak, wet rubber, mint and a hint of dark fruit (cherries and raisins). Extremely complex. With water, more spices and herbs come out.

In the mouth, it is spicier than on the nose: cinnamon, cloves and pepper. A hint of maple syrup, but only just, with darker fruits like dates. Quite oaky. Powerful and robust. Water tames the oak a little.

The finish is long, deep, spicy, and mouthdrying. A complex and powerful bourbon, only slightly marred by a little too much oak. With no age statement, it's impossible to know how long this has aged (also, it has oxidized for some months).

A fine way to start Boxing Day, without being trampled by mobs of shoppers!

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6 comments

@Victor
Victor commented

@talexander, consider keeping it around for awhile and seeing what happens to it with some air. Big Sis had a bottle of the standard Four Roses 'Single Barrel' mashbill which left me completely cold, and in an "Is THAT all there is?" frame of mind, for about a year or more. Then it blossomed and tasted/tastes great!

...Yeah, yeah...I know,...there is more chance of the earth being destroyed by a meteorite than for a bottle of bourbon lasting a year in your house.

12 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

Well, it's only lasted for these past six months because I had left it at the office! There is about 1/5 of a bottle left - so it is oxidizing - but I will keep it as long as I can.

12 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

Also, I was positive I selected the Four Roses Single Barrel bottle when I wrote this. For some reason it is showing the standard Four Roses. Which is wrong, but this site won't let me correct that.

12 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

Maybe the large air column in your bottle has already largely brought it out into a good space.

I used to be extremely skeptical of Four Roses products. Not any more...Especially after trying the annual Limited Editions, @dbk's 2009 Mariage, and the exquisite private barrels from Binny's and The Party Source.

12 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

I remember liking it very much when I popped it open 6 months ago, to celebrate Independence Day, but I don't recall enough in order to compare. I do find it is a little bit too oaky, but that's not a huge complaint. I'm very iffy on the standard FR and the Small Batch (though I've warmed up to the Small Batch a little bit). In NY I tried the Small Batch LE2012 and liked it very much.

12 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

It was a slow warm up to liking Four Roses products for me, as well. There are a bunch of different bourbons they offer...so some will appeal more than others.

12 years ago 0