Friday, January 11, 2013

New Arrivals: Four Roses Single Barrels "Staff Picks"

Hey All,

Just in time for the winter months, warm up your spirits with 1 of our 4 hand selected cask strength single barrels from Four Roses! We always sell out of our Four Roses barrels so fast, this time we decided to let each member of the staff pick a barrel so we would have more options for everyone to choose from. All of the barrel samples we tried were pre-selected by Master Distiller Jim Rutledge, ensuring they were of the highest quality before we even began to analyze and score them. I myself picked a barrel consistent with what I've chosen the last few batches, OBSO recipe and from the highest tiers in the warehouse making it exceedingly oaky and one that gained in strength. Dave, Rami and Scott each picked a different recipe bourbon. We scored them on three main criteria: nose and aroma, taste and mouth feel, quality and length of the finish. We looked for barrels that exceeded expectations in all three categories and added up to a transcendent bourbon experience. I helped over see the selection of each barrel, encouraging the staff to select unique flavor profiles they liked while making sure the bourbons were well rounded and relatively flawless. Here's what we came up with:

-"Dave's Barrel" - 55% Alcohol (110 Proof) - Warehouse Tier 1 - Recipe: OBSV (35% Rye) Has delicate fruity flavors of banana, apricot and pear, the higher rye content and a lush creamy finish.

-"Rami's Barrel" - 62.5% Alcohol (125 Proof) - Warehouse Tier 4 - Recipe: OBSQ (35% Rye) Has an engaging floral essence with notes of rose pedals, peppercorns and nutmeg, with the higher rye content, and a long lingering earthy finish.

-"Scott's Barrel" - 58.6% Alcohol (117.2 Proof) - Warehouse Tier 3 - Recipe: OESO (20% Rye) Has the lower rye content making it soft and luxurious with notes of ripe red fruits like raspberries, maraschino cherries and strawberries combined with creme brulee and marzipan. Smooth long finish.

-"Nate's Barrel" - 64.5% Alcohol (129 Proof) - Warehouse Tier 6 - Recipe: OBSO (35% Rye) Has the high rye content making it boldly spicy, also firmer tannins from the higher tier aging. Notes of peppercorns, maraschino cherries, charred oak, gravel and burnt caramel. Amazing amount of depth and a tannic mouth watering finish.

Come and get it! Cheers

Nate