Four Roses Private Barrels Part 3: Bourbon Crusaders
For the finale of our Four Roses private barrel selection week, we've got an interesting pick from the "Bourbon Crusaders" an anonymous collective of whiskey enthusiasts hailing from Kentucky, who seem to have some deep connections to the local distilleries. Does this insider knowledge allow them to list "and Jim Rutledge" (Four Roses recently retired Master Distiller) on their label? Does it score them one of the older barrels in the private barrel program at just shy of twelve years? We don't know, but it's a compelling label to be sure.
Nose: Juicy Fruit gum. It's definitely not spicy, but it's not mellow either. There's a lot of upfront sweet fruity fruit punch type stuff going on here. It's sugary in its sweetness, dried apricots floating in honey.
Palate: Four Roses really makes some highly drinkable bourbon, you can't argue with that. Three bottles all up over 107 proof and all with little burn neat. With water some more vegetal / herbal things come out like fresh thyme and oregano, and some anise / black licorice. Middle-weight mouthfeel and well rounded approachable palate.
Finish: Really nice balance of honey, mint, and spice on the finish here.
Review
What an enjoyable week tasting these awesome Four Roses private barrels. Once again each barrel was so unique and showcased completely different aspects of what makes Four Roses such a diverse and deep brand. The Crusaders bottle was a very nice balance between fruit and spice, bold and distinctive, yet not at all overpowering and going down so easily at cask strength.
Who are these crusaders & why does bourbon need to be crusaded for? We may never know, but they have good snouts for bourbon that's for sure.
Have you tried any local Four Roses barrel picks? Where were they from and how were they? There are so many of these awesome bottles floating around, please share your notes in the comments!
Cheers/SB
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