Four Roses Limited Edition Bourbon Elliott's Select (2016)

This is a Four Roses Elliott’s Select from 2016 of which there were 8000 bottles produced and this one comes in at 120.2 proof from warehouse QN, barrel number 53-4C. I have heard a lot of good things about Four Roses, but don’t think I’ve been able to taste one of their single barrels from them before now. Here’s hoping this one lives up to the legend of these. The nose started off with a ton of ethanol burn when I opened my sample but then after a few minutes that alcohol blast calmed down and started to open up. On the nose the first note I get is a big blast of caramel covered pecan clusters, then came fruit notes of stewed cinnamon apples, peaches, vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate, finishing off with barrel spices, leather and old polished oak with a light ethanol burn. The taste is very viscous and mouth coating with those caramel pecan clusters wrapping around your tongue with milk chocolate and back to those fruits of stewed cinnamon apples, peaches, vanilla ice cream leading to leather, old polished oak and finally barrel spices with a medium ethanol burn before finishing off with a long caramel pecan hug, stewed cinnamon apples, peaches, milk chocolate, leather and old polished oak that lingers for minutes. Wow, this one was incredible!!! The flavors just flow harmoniously together with not one overpowering the other. At 14 years old and with that 120.2 proof, this is a something that was aged just right and bottled at the right proof to get all those great flavors and viscosity. After I finished my tasting notes I had it do a trial by fire against my other 5 star whiskeys I have in stock (Garrison Cowboy and Old Carter Batch 4) and it basically punched out their teeth and crushed their skulls. This one is a monster that I would like to have in my cabinet, but the secondary has gone nuts with the only place I found that had it wanting almost 800 pounds for a bottle. So I’ll be happy with my sample of this and look for a single barrel from Four Roses in the 120 proof range to add to my collection in the future.

High proof makes for a very nice high tier bourbon to impress an old guy. Good whiskey. Not much to add.

Loads of vanilla. Caramel, brown sugar, and corn sweetness balanced with clove and peppercorn spice. Oak is present throughout and kicks off a nice lingering finish.

Sweet smell, strong vanilla taste. Was breathing fire after swallowing. Too much vanilla for my taste.

Very smooth and spicy, the oak flavor dominates the whole way through. Vanilla as well, but the wood overpowers it. Richness gives a long tail that the oak rides on as well. Super fiery, love it.