Four Gate The Kelvin Collaboration (Batch 1)

OK so not sure but we need someone to address the labeling. Four Gate is going to be releasing new batch a couple a year and they are going to be radically different each time. So this is the only named review that I feel comfortable reviewing this under, the other is just calling it four gate. This is a sherry rum finished bourbon. The batch 2 which I don't believe is released yet, but samples have gone out to a lot of whisky reviewers (and as a result I may have gotten a hint of what's to come)...well it's night and day different. Nose - waxy red fruits, cane sugar, spicy over ripe fruit. Taste - Oh man. Opens with heavy finishing. You get some sherry and some rum notes...berries, sugar cane, some yellow fruits and dark fruits. Then the whisky completely switches and it moves towards a very classic bourbon. I kinda feel like this reminds me of a bartons but I could be wrong. Peanuts, oak, vanilla and caramel from the bourbon. I'm getting citrus from the bourbon as well. I hate to go there but 4.0. This is one of the best bourbons of the year for me. I wanted to hate it for the 11 years and 200 price but gosh it's good.

Neat. Sample from an already opened bottle. The nose blasts you with it’s age and sherry influence initially. Oak and berries gives way to tons of vanilla and baking spice. There is a butter cream around the whole experience bringing all the notes together. I’ve had my nose in this for 30 minutes before tasting. Nice thick viscosity on the tongue. Approaches the tongue with a surprising amount of dark notes. Dark brown sugar. Dark almond liqueur even. On the taste it hits you hard with the sherry. Transitions to the vanilla and baking spices. Legs leave you with that rum influence - vanilla and almond. Legs last a long, delicious time. This might be my favorite sherry finished bourbon. Unlike other sherry influenced bourbons that seem to focus on bright notes and fruits, this one has all interesting dark elements. Makes it unique and interesting on top of being delicious. Still going back to the nose, it’s crazy good.

Neat. Neck pour. Blast of oak and bread immediately subsided to the sherry influence. Bright, ripe raspberries and cherries. Profound sweetness. Layers of vanilla and sweet cream. Hint of chocolate. The goes back and forth from dark notes to bright notes. Trick and syrupy on the tongue. Brown sugars and maple hit the tongue first, starts very dark. Then those bright red fruits emerge followed by a hint of almond. After that the vanilla and oak. Vanilla and oak linger and dry the mouth, which then brings those red fruits back for another round as you salivate. Hint of chocolate emerging on subsequent sips. Fantastic pour. Many sherry influenced bourbons I have had stick to being light and bright. This one hits all the notes, dark, medium and bright. Every sniff and sip is a bit different. One of my favorite pours of 2019.

It’s full of sherry, golden raisins, and cooked plums. The sherry-rum cask finish is a lovely partner for the high-rye bourbon that Four Gate Whiskey Company used for this expression. The first sip offered up the expected Sherry notes mixed with a heavy dose of simple syrup but the arrival of some pretty stout barrel tannins caught me off guard. At 11 years old, the tannins were far more aggressive than I expected. Spice rum kicked in at the end of the finish preventing this one from ending on a bitter only note. Make sure you let your bottle open up a bit before pouring your taste.

Initial hints of spice with oak and fruits. When neat, initial taste is pleasant with notes of oak, fruits, caramel, vanilla followed by some spice that comes on and then fades leaving your with a nice finish. When cut with water, the heat & spice is reduced and flavors open up nicely with a tasty finish.

Great nose, great balance and perfect proof. This is one of those “did I really drink that much of the bottle already”! Best after 45 minutes sitting in glass....