Bourbon

Four Roses Elliott’s Select 2016 Limited Edition Single Barrel

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Four Roses Elliott’s Select 2016 Limited Edition Single Barrel

56.5% ABV (varies by barrel/bottle)
$125
Website

What the Distiller Says

Barrel strength. OESK. 14 years. Only 10,000 bottles produced. Introducing, Elliott’s Select.

Elliott’s Select is a limited-quantity Single Barrel Bourbon and marks the first limited edition bottling released by Brent Elliott, our master distiller.

Brent Elliott, who assumed the post of master distiller in September 2015, personally hand-selected the 14-year-old OESK, one of the Distillery’s 10 unique Bourbon recipes.

Subtle aromas of peach jam, magnolia blossoms and light oak preview the elegantly-balanced flavors of spiced vanilla, fresh nutmeg and delicate, ripe fruits. Sweet flavors of honey and light apricot linger in the finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, thick, robust caramel, fair amount of oak, vanilla, hazelnuts, allspice and nutmeg.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce; a dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon with and a hint of butterscotch that gives way to a pepper spice note.
Finish:  Long and lingering with a hint of cinnamon and a strong hit of pepper spice on the way out.
Comments:  The last few Four Roses samples I’ve spent time with have had a lovely subtle note of butterscotch; reminding me a bit of dusty National Distiller’s bourbon (not nearly that intense though).  The OESK recipe isn’t one of my favorites, but this particular bourbon is delightful.  Rich and robust flavor, wonderfully balanced, and not the slightest bit over-oaked.

Rating: Must Try

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2017

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2017

48% ABV
$80
Website

What the Distiller Says

The 2017 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon was drawn from 12 year old barrels from different warehouses and floors. A total of 120 barrels; 93 barrels matured together on the 4th floor of G warehouse, yielding an extremely spice forward expression. The remaining 27 barrels matured together on the 5th floor of K warehouse contributing a rounding sweetness to the blend. Several barrels from both lots basked in the sun, highlighting the effects of maturation along an external wall.

Barreled on May 27, 2005 – Old Forester 2017 Birthday Bourbon is offered at 96 and 95.4 Proof.

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Bright golden honey
AROMA: Sweet toasted oak and black pepper with a heavy suggestion of orange oil and toffee
TASTE: Oak spice and charred black pepper dominate over a subtle core of chocolate custard and kola nut.
FINISH: Spicy perimeter mouthfeel that slowly cascades off revealing floral undertones and cocoa powder.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, salted caramel, solid dose of oak, brown sugar,  allspice and a hint of raisins; a bit sharp as well.
Palate:  Vanilla, caramel apple, allspice, cinnamon with oaky pepper spice.
Finish:  Short to moderately in length, drying with pepper spice notes.
Comments:  I haven’t bought an Old Forester Birthday Bourbon in many years.  Each year is a bit different; some years have been flat out delicious, where other years have been pretty unremarkable – at least for my palate.  This one sits squarely in that latter camp for me.  Pretty oaky, a bit on the sharp side, and just not well balanced.  When they were $35 a throw, I didn’t mind taking the gamble on what it might be, but at $80 – I expect a consistently great bourbon; because in that price tier – you should.  Maybe others find this hitting right in their wheelhouse consistently; if so – this didn’t strike me as anything particularly off-putting.  Just not particularly special.

Rating: Average

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Four Roses 130th Anniversary Small Batch Limited Edition 2018

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Four Roses 130th Anniversary Small Batch Limited Edition 2018

54.2% ABV
$140
Website

What the Distiller Says

If you’d like to experience some of the best Bourbons we’ve ever put in a bottle, ask about our Limited Edition bottlings at your favorite bar or liquor store. From time to time, our Master Distiller hand selects a few exceptional barrels from our 10 Bourbon recipes for these special releases. Each is non-chill filtered and barrel strength, so you get to savor them exactly as they come out of the barrel. Look for them. Find them. Collect them. Share them. Or not.

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Warm aromas of rich vanilla, mingled with raspberries, crème brûlée and ripe berries.
Palate: Bright apricot flavors greet the palate, then give way to hints of mint, cinnamon, apple and mellow oak.
Finish: Very long, with notes of cinnamon, more fruit and vanilla.

Recipes:
10-year-old OBSV
13-year-old OBSF
14-year-old OESV
16-year-old OESK

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, vanilla, coffee cake, a floral mustiness, nutty butterscotch, allspice and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet entry with caramel, vanilla, honey before sharpening with lovely spices (nutmeg, allspice) and oak (maybe a hint of clove).
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with oak spice and a hint of cinnamon.
Comments:  The bit of butterscotch I get from this reminds me of dusty Old Taylor (which is a huge compliment for those unfamiliar). It isn’t the ‘butterscotch bomb’ that you find there, but if tasting blind – I might have guessed this to be mingled with some dusty Old Taylor. This is flat out delicious, which isn’t a surprise to me. I’ve yet to find a Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition I didn’t think was pretty amazing, and this continues that trend. I lament no longer being able to walk into a store and pick one of these up for $80 (or even the ability to walk in and buy one retail for the current MSRP; locally you’ve got to be in good with a store and get lucky). But if I found myself staring at one in a retail store that wasn’t gouging, this would be an automatic buy for me every time.

Rating: Must Buy

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Parker’s Heritage Bourbon Finished in Orange Curaçao Barrels

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Parker’s Heritage Collection 12th Edition: Bourbon Finished in Orange Curaçao Barrels

55% ABV
$90
Website

What the Distiller Says

Heaven Hill Distillery has announced the 2018 limited-edition release of Parker’s Heritage Collection, which is comprised of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in orange curaçao barrels. This is the 12th edition of the collection and the second time Heaven Hill has partnered with Master Blender Alain Royer to create a barrel-finished offering.

As the second barrel finished edition of the series, this edition continues to pave the way for innovation at Heaven Hill Distillery. This 7 to 8-year-old Bourbon has been aged in the upper floors of Rickhouse Q and finished for four months in barrels that previously aged French orange curaçao liqueur. It is bottled without chill filtration at 110 proof.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Pepper, dried fruit, oak and vanilla
Taste: Spicy citrus, nutmeg, caramel & hints of honey
Finish: Strong, top of mouth, silky, toasted toffee

The past five editions of Parker’s Heritage Collection have raised more than $1 million toward ALS research and patient care.

Heaven Hill will continue this legacy and contribute a portion of proceeds from each bottle sold of this year’s release to the ALS Association.

With every past edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection quickly selling out, the company expects to generate a significant amount of money for ALS research in Parker’s memory.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Orange gummy candies, oak, bright vanilla and honey.
Palate:  Vanilla and orange cream, sharpening with a pepper spice , oak and orange bitters note
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with fading orange bitters.
Comments:  To start with, I’m not “anti-finish” when it comes to bourbon.  I get the view from purists that the definition of bourbon means no adding flavor, which certainly happens when you finish in a cask that held some other spirit.  But as long as someone is transparent around “This is bourbon that we’re finishing in something else” – I think it is great for the category and opens up a lot of innovative possibilities.  All that said, this particular offering struck me as ‘over-finished’.  When I initially nosed it, I wouldn’t have called it out as bourbon necessarily.  On the palate, it is more nuanced, and while you can’t miss the orange, it isn’t as overpowering.  But on the nose it really dominated for me, which was disappointing.  All that said, it isn’t off-putting in any way, and I enjoyed sipping it.  I found it drinks incredibly easily for 110 proof (I’d have guessed this to be under 100 proof).

Rating: Stands Out

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Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon

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Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon

62.9% ABV
$200
Website
Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distiller Says

Released in extremely limited quantities, Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon features a mingling of uncut, unfiltered1 9-year-old and 16-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskies, which together present robust flavor with the brand’s signature notes of vanilla that Noe preferred in his namesake whiskey. Bottled at 125.8 proof, these barrels were aged specifically with Booker’s legacy in mind under the watchful eye of 7th Generation Master Distiller and Booker’s son, Fred Noe.

“It’s a great honor to release Booker’s 30th Anniversary in commemoration of my Dad and the path he paved when he introduced the world to Booker’s Bourbon,” said Fred Noe. “When we first started talking about an anniversary batch, I knew it would have to be something special, and during my final tasting of this extra aged liquid, I knew Dad would have been pleased. I’m proud to carry on his legacy every day and to share this special release in honor of the damn fine whiskey he created 30 years ago.”

In the late 1980’s, Booker Noe set out to create his version of the perfect whiskey – one that offered a full-bodied taste profile, aged between six and eight years, bottled at its natural proof with robust flavors of vanilla. What started as a personal, holiday gift that Booker would share with close family and friends turned into one of the industry’s most influential super premium bourbons. To this day, Booker’s Bourbon is considered by many, the industry’s first small batch bourbon which contributed to the bourbon movement our industry still enjoys today.

A robust and powerful bourbon, Booker’s 30th Anniversary is itself a reflection of Booker, the man. His legacy is also honored in the details of the packaging. Each bottle of Booker’s 30th Anniversary is topped with a special silver wax then packaged beautifully in a box made of reclaimed wood from the very rackhouses where Booker once walked as he selected his personal batches of Booker’s Bourbon.

Like all Booker’s releases, Fred Noe carefully watched over and selected the barrels for this release, which is presented with the following characteristics:

Proof: 125.8
Age: 70% 9 year-old-whiskey, 30% 16-year-old whiskey
Tasting Notes: The taste profile of this bourbon is lighter than most batches of Booker’s, with a quick, dry finish that does not overpower your palate, and offers robust notes of vanilla and oak from the mingling of whiskies present in this release.
Sipping Suggestions: Booker’s 30th Anniversary is best enjoyed neat, over ice or with a few drops of water.

1Booker’s® Bourbon is quality screened to remove only pieces of charred barrel wood from the liquid.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty oak, chocolate cake w/ dark chocolate bits, vanilla, and a caramel drizzle; notes of chocolate-covered cherries with just a hint of cinnamon.
Palate:  Rich, warm, chocolate and molasses ginger-snap cookies, nutty with some smoke, baking spices, and oak; takes water well – softens it nicely and the caramel shines through more with vanilla.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with smoke and allspice notes.
Comments:  I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of oak-bombs, so I was a bit apprehensive about how this might turn out with 30% spending 16 years in the oak. Booker’s isn’t typically oak-heavy in terms of profile, and they did a nice job of keeping this limited release on target. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t “just like Booker’s”; it definitely has a bit more oak, and is more mature; maybe a tad less sweetness on balance but with more complexity and spice. And not over-oaked in the least (which if you’re a fan of oak-bombs, sorry). Quite well balanced, and the reclaimed wood from the rackhouses is a nice touch if you’re a collector. I wish it wasn’t $200, but with the market for limited edition bourbon, I don’t think I could legitimately complain about the pricing.

Rating: Stands Out

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