Bourbon review sites and channels are like Yeti coolers...every white guy has one. And as said white guy, I have reached the time in my life where I need to make a choice. Either I start reviewing bourbon, create a channel where I film myself cooking meat on my grill, or I get really into mowing the yard. I hear you, I missed an obvious choice of becoming a golf hardo. I played golf when I was younger, and if I never see another golf ball for the rest of my life I think I would be OK. Also since I actually like eating the food I cook and not squeezing all the juice out for slow-mo shots for the video, I think that one is out. I have a very tiny yard and hate mowing, so I don't really want to get in to that one. So that leaves reviewing bourbon.
Luckily I enjoy bourbon. I guess that isn't necessarily required to review it, but it would become useless if I just said I hated all of them. Another point in it's favor is that I live in the heart of bourbon country. Generally I have a good chance of finding what I am looking for when I am out. I mean finding the real hard to find stuff is as hard as anywhere else, I guess. Although I can't say that with any certainty as I have never been the guy to go hunting around for BTAC stuff or allocated bottles. For one, my budget doesn't really allow for that kind of thing. And two, I have yet to be convinced that stuff is worth the price tag/hunt, but I digress.
You may be asking after all this, Aren't there enough bourbon reviews out there already? What is the point of this then? Why review bourbon if you aren't reviewing the Pappys and Staggs of the world? I have always been someone that loved finding the hidden (or hidden in plain sight) gem. I love finding the lesser appreciated or overlooked thing that punches above its weight. Bang for your buck is a huge to me, so finding a bourbon that ticks off all my boxes for $50 bucks is fun.
With all that said I want to get into the first bourbon that I am going to review:
Four Roses Single Barrel
Info
Name: Four Roses Single Barrel
Distillery: Four Roses
Age: no age statement (but likely 7-9 yrs)
Strength: 100 Proof
Price paid: $38
I have had my share of bourbon. But it has only been in the last 6 months that I have been much more deliberate with tasting. I have tried to develop my palate and nose to be able to better describe what I am smelling and tasting. I am in no way an expert and this is an ongoing project to keep developing those skills. In my bourbon journey (BTW, I hate the saying bourbon journey. I think it sounds incredibly pretentious and douchey. That being said I don't have a better way of putting this) this bourbon is one that grabbed my attention and was an early stand out to me. This is a bourbon that you can literally find in any liquor store. The normal Four Roses Single barrel has the OBSV and has the descriptor of "delicate fruit and rye" from the website. The mash bill for this recipe is 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley.
Nose
The nose is somewhat delicate, it's not one that hits you over the head. First off I notice notes on the sweeter end. I get vanilla, flowers, brown sugar, and at the risk of sounding too crazy, maybe a sweet pipe tobacco. On the first couple of smells I do get a decent whiff of alcohol, but a minute later an that's not really there. I love the nose on this bourbon.
Palate
*Diclaimer: This is the weakest skill that I have, and the one that I am trying to develop the most. Bear with me, and as we go along through more reviews I hope to become more proficient.
So with this being the higher rye mash bill from Four Roses, you definitely notice it here. Rye spice is the first thing that hits me. I also get something sweet that I am having a little trouble picking out, maybe brown or honey, but its dark and sweet. A light oakiness is present and is very pleasant. The mouthfeel is very pleasing, and it coats your tongue nicely. It's such a nice palate, nothing that I can find that is undesirable.
Finish
The finish is nice and long. It continues some of the spiciness from the Rye. But as the finish extends on it evolves to more of an herbal and earthy finish for me. Notes of leather, tobacco, and even possibly spearmint are present. The finish just continues on for a while and as it winds down the earthiness leads to a little sweetness at the very tail end. Overall it is a very nice and interesting finish that unfolds over a couple minutes.
Conclusion
I really enjoy this bourbon. This is currently my go to bourbon. I will always have a bottle of this on hand. For my money, it holds its own pound for pound against much of what I have had. An extremely pleasant nose, a rye spice punch on the palate with a decent proof, and a long evolving finish. Not much more you can ask for from a $38 bottle of bourbon.
Thanks for taking a few minutes and reading the first of I hope many bourbon reviews from Comfortably Dumb. Have you had Four Roses Single Barrel? Disagree with my notes? Have suggestions? Please comment below.
May we be happy and our enemies know it.
No comments:
Post a Comment