Bourbon

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Review

The next few reviews are devoted to Four Roses’ regular releases:  their yellow label, single barrel, and small batch.  This post covers the latter.  (Thanks to the Baddish Group for the sample.)

Four Roses/ 108

I remember hearing great things about Four Roses bourbon when I ventured outside the world of Jack Daniel’s years ago.  It wasn’t until recently that I started paying attention.

Four Roses has a long, interesting history.  In a nutshell, they’ve been around since the late 1800s.  By the 1930s, it was the number one selling bourbon in the US.  Seagram’s bought it and decided to  stop selling the popular bourbon here and sold it only overseas.  Here at home, they instead sold a blended whiskey with the name Four Roses.  Apparently that stuff was described by the current and long-time Master Distiller of Four Roses Jim Rutledge as “rot-gut”.  After several new owners in the late 1990s – early 2000s, Japanese beverage company Kirin bought them in 2002.  Rutledge bought back all the horrible tasting Four Roses blended whiskey, dumped it, and began selling their bourbon back in the US.  There are articles that provide much more depth on the subject if you’re looking for more, like this one.

Four Roses has two mash bills (one with 20% rye and one with 35% rye) and five different yeast strains, each giving a slightly different flavor.  In essence, they distill ten different bourbons.  Their small batch contains a blend four of those bourbons.

How is it?  Coming in at 90 proof, Four Roses Small Batch bourbon smells fantastic.  You get a nice depth of aromas, from caramel to a little fruit, and even a little anise or licorice.  It’s a sweet bourbon.  I get a lot of that caramel sweetness up front, followed by some spice.  It falls a little flat compared to the nose.  It feels a little velvety and light.  The finish lasts a little while, but doesn’t linger.

This $30+ bourbon is fantastic.  It’s well rounded and light, and  I found it quite refreshing with some ice.  If that’s what you’re looking for, try it.

8/10

Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star Review

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Ancient Age.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year.  Try saying that three times fast.  These are the three bourbons produced under the Ancient Age label, distilled by Buffalo Trace.  You won’t have trouble finding Ancient Age. It’s usually a bottom-shelver bourbon.  The 10 Star is a little harder to find, and the 10 Year isn’t available outside of Kentucky (unless you get really lucky).  10 Star… 10 Year…  confusing, right?  The 10 Year is just that – a 10 year old bourbon.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star is over four years old, but probably closer to six.  There’s no age statement, so I don’t know for sure.  Onward to the important stuff –

This is one easy sippin’ whiskey, and at 90 proof it’s pretty tame.  There’s a slight sweetness when you smell it… almost like honey.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star is made from Buffalo Trace’s rye-heavy mash bill #2.  You can definitely taste the rye.  It also has a mild caramel taste too.  The finish is dry and spicy.

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This is one of my buddy Hank’s favorites.  He prefers “easy sipping” whiskies.  I like a bit more character or bite in my  bourbon.  There’s nothing wrong with Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star, especially at the $15 price tag.  I doubt you’ll find a better bourbon for that price.  It’s just a matter of personal preference.  If you like a mellower bourbon (don’t let the 90 proof fool you), this is right up your alley.  If you’re looking for some bite, look somewhere else.

7.5/10

Noah’s Mill bourbon Review

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***Revised from the original posting.

Noah’s Mill bourbon comes to us from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD).  They don’t distill this.  Rather, they buy barrels of bourbon and blend them.  It used to be a blend where the youngest bourbon was 15 years.  Nowadays, this doesn’t have an age statement.  I bought this on recommendation of an employee at Martin’s Wine Cellar, a New Orleans area wine & spirits store.  Honestly, the green bottle with the handwritten-like label got lost on the shelf for me.  My eyes were never drawn to it.

Aroma-wise, you get a little mustiness and a little caramel.  Taste-wise – wow, this sucker is hot!  At 114.3 proof, Noah’s Mill bourbon packs a punch.  As soon as you sip it, your taste buds get knocked around with heat… sort of like eating a pepper (think cayenne).  It’s viscous and coats your mouth.  There’s an oaky smell to it, and you can taste it.  The finish on it is spicy, dry, and lasts a little while.

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At a price tag of north of $40, Noah’s Mill isn’t exactly cheap, but it really isn’t overpriced.  If you’re looking for a sweet bourbon, look elsewhere.  Noah’s Mill is strong, spicy & woody.  I’m glad I bought this bourbon, but I wouldn’t rush to replace this bottle when it’s empty.  It’s not a “daily sipper” for me, but I do enjoy when I drink it.

7.5/10

Edit 3/05/15:  After a few months I’ve returned to Noah’s Mill, and a little air time in the bottle helped mellow this out a bit.  Trying it again, I get more sweetness than when I first opened the bottle.  I like this a lot more than before.

8/10