Four Roses, Royal Liquors OESK Single Barrel ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Nose: Cut red cedar wood, pine and forthright rye spice, crystal clear in typical FR fashion. Some dry spices too including cinnamon nutmeg and cardamom. Lots of smoked sweet hickory, intertwined with caramel, and big umami notes which I absolutely love – almost meat marinade like in nature and the hickory is phenomenal. Along with the umami is sweet cooked corn that is very pleasant. That sweetness then evolves into sweet & sour – sour hard candies, like Warheads. Lemon, lemon juice, grilled pineapple mixed with almond and cashew butter, nutty raisin bread dusted with more crushed nuts and spent peanut shells, including the red skins. Firm layers of oak and sweet wood lay down a balanced foundation with sea salt, Christmas spices and buttered french toast – breakfast and dessert in a glass. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Youthful and possessive in it’s 8 year & 9 month swagger. I’m being drawn more and more to younger whiskeys as my palate has progressed over the years, to the extent that I almost prefer bourbon under 10 years old. This expression of FR is the perfect testament to why this is, exerting layers and layers that you could nose for easily 30 minutes. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Palate: Sticky sweet. Oily, rich, dense and meaty with a lot of weight. Rye, cedar & oak spices with this wet mentholic note start on the tip of your tongue, then proceed to cover your entire mouth. The meat marinade note from the nose is hear but it’s sweeter – more savory and sugary sweet. Charcoal, barrel char, black licorice, treacle, green rye grains, corn and tons of smoke. This could be the smokiest bourbon I’ve had to date, perhaps from the hickory that is so assertive starting on the nose, but is ever present here as well. Warm and inviting. The overall balance of rich sweetness to smokey dryness is phenomenal. The palate rounds out before the finish with just beautiful smoke, and a pleasantly sour and savory finish. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Finish: Sweet and smokey with a long finish. Mesquite, chocolate covered peanuts with a pinch of salt sprinkled on top. Spice and smoke fight for dominance in waves as you exhale. Bitter black coffee, oak and thick caramel. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Bourbon and House Rating: 94.5 _______________________________________________ www.bourbonandhouse.com