Drinking this neat, neck pour. Four gate is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t have a huge in investment in my bar, but I’ve gotten to try some spectacular pours. Right off the bat a nice creamy vanilla with oak aromas. The finishing is playing a pretty big roll I think in some of the fruit, leaning towards raisin. I don’t know if this pour has fully opened up yet but it’s gives me the impression that it’s holding back. Will have to revisit after a day or two. A bit of cherry cola to round it off but it is just a bomb of sweetness I assume coming from the sherry finish. I don’t know if I was to go as far as candy but certainly your favorite fruit pie and then some more sugar. The undertones lean more red licorice and black pepper, there may be a more elegant way to describe it but at the moment, that hits it dead on for me. The pallet is the wow factor here. It hits you again with the sweetness but there’s a spice that hits you quick and holds on for dear life through the finish. Then there is some oak again. They really brute forced the pallet on this one and I kinda like it! It’s like my tongue has been held prisoner. I went in on a deal with this bottle where I was able to get less than retail. At $200, I’m not sure it lives up to some of the heavy hitters 4G has put out there. But I sure do love it at the price I was able to get it.