Maker: Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, USA
Age: 9 1/2 y/o
Recipe: OESV
Warehouse RN, Barrel 57-2G
Bottled August of 2015
Proof: 112.4 (56.2% ABV)
Purchased for $70? (from memory)
Appearance: Bright caramel.
Nose: Caramel, lavender, alcohol, oak, butterscotch, pool chlorine. More light chlorine with water.
Palate: Sweet on entry, butterscotch then burn. Bubblegum comes out with water.
Finish: Hot, oaky, chocolatey. Muted with water added.
Parting words: Having reviewed pretty much every American whiskey on the market (and some not on the market) over the years, I’m going to start doing something I’ve resisted doing in the recent past: reviewing store picks of bourbon and rye. Given how quickly picks move off the shelves and how slowly I drink them, the goal is not to call attention to the picks themselves but to establish which retailers are good pickers and which aren’t. Gift shop selections are usually a safe bet and the selections from the Four Roses gift shops have been some of the best.
This one I wasn’t so sure about at first, though. With one judiciously applied ice crude, it was all oak. When I finally sat down with it neat, it started speaking to me. It has the beautiful interplay of candy and flowers we all expect from Four Roses. Now, the pool chlorine notes sound bad, I know, but it’s more of a whiff of summer swimming pools than bleach.
This was one of the last gift shop selections made during the tenure of 4R’s sainted former master distiller, Jim Rutledge. It’s a worthy farewell. This Four Roses gift shop selection is recommended.
Sipology 