K&L Wines July 2023 Bourbon Selection
Distillery: Four Roses.
Region: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
ABV: 55.5%.
Age: 9 Years, 6 Months.
Cask type: New Charred Oak. Barrel PN – #52-2J.
Price: $110.
Color: 1.7, Burnt Umber. Natural Color. No chill filtration.
Tasting Notes
Tasted neat in a Glencairn with 15+ minutes of rest. Dilution was added for the second half of the tasting with an additional rest of upwards of an hour. This review encompasses my initial impression to the final glass.
Nose: A wonderfully inviting fruity and lactic bouquet. It’s a familiar bourbon profile from Four Roses that shouldn’t surprise you but it somehow does. Cherries, almonds, and tart Greek yogurt. Almond extract, vanilla bean, and a touch of milk chocolate. Reminds me of a higher-end cordial cherry made with marzipan and kirsch. As you sit with the glass, the oak notes become more prominent adding a cinnamon and herbal kick to the nose. Despite being the low rye mash, the cereal is still noticeable giving you a nicely spiced Horchata-like nose.
Palate: Cinnamon, dried grains, and dark stone fruits dominate the palate. Sweet, herbal cereals like sandwich bread or honey-coated cornflakes. The sweet oak flavors present like a nutty honey brittle. A bit of textile and paper flavors like parchment and cotton pop up. Floral, aromatic lumber of pine and sandalwood. Behind this expected bourbon-adjacent flavor profile is a note I truly enjoy: Calcium and Kentucky Limestone water. The terroir is evident with a mineral richness I enjoy chewing through and it brings complexity to the dram.
Finish: Well-integrated tannins as the finish lingers like a salted caramel chew. Both wood and fruit tannins as more of the stonefruit notes come out with figs and red table grapes. Earthy, woody, and a hint of saline, like salted, toasted, and chocolate-covered walnuts or pecans. It still has that mineral-rich quality and you’ll notice a bit of slate even as your palate recovers for the next sip.
Overall
I may wax lyrical about the profile here but I should dial it back a bit and temper expectations. Make no mistake, this is a very middle-of-the-road, safe, and consistent selection. The fruit notes certainly helped elevate this pick but that is expected from this recipe. What was unique for me was the heavy terroir element. This might almost be a nearly perfect representative of “Kentucky” straight bourbon as that limestone, mineral-forward flavor was present in every sip. It made the dram for me.
Final Score: 85
