Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

Rating: 15/23 N: Lots of musty, dust wood. There's a great sense of maturity coming out of this. There's a sour mash tartness that's yeasty with a hint of orange and definitely some lemon. It makes me think a little bit of a palo cortado sherry. Perhaps a very faint nuttiness. Hints of barrel spice coming out of the wood. There's a lot of depth to the wood, but that's pretty much it. P: This is light with lots of gentle barrel spices and mild, floral fruit, starring cherries, but including some orange and a zest of lemon. It's super mellow and balanced, with solid enough complexity and a good amount of maturity, though it leans heavily toward the wood and spice. It makes me think of a version of Russell's Reserve 10 that doesn't push the envelope with that bit of smoke. There's definitely wood, but it's pretty mellow. I get a little vanilla coming out of the wood, but it's rare. And then, of course, there's a constant layer of minerality, which adds some depth, but also makes this taste a bit lighter. It's hard to believe that this is bottled at 50% ABV considering how light and easy to sip it is. I don't even get alcohol flavor out of this one. F: That minerality certainly lingers. And of course the barrel with spice. - Conclusion - I like all of the flavors here; it's a very easy sipper. There really isn't anything wowing me though. Sure, it has some maturity and complexity, with a terrific balance, but none of the flavors are especially great and the overall profile is pretty ho-hum. It's very solid competition for Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23), albeit priced a bit higher. I'm struggling to find this better than Elijah Craig Small Batch (15/23) and Old Forester 100 (15/23), but it could be a little better. This focuses on elegance to the point of being a little unfun. On a total tangent, I recognize the prominent Four Roses flavor in Swift Single Malt now that I've tasted this again. It's nice to be able to identify the distillery's character coming through, even in the barrels.

One my top options

Typical caramel, oak, but nothing distinct. Good not great