Bull City Bourbon Club pick Barrel No. RS23-5J Age - 11 years and 4 months 62.2% abv; 124.4 proof Open 3 months Nose - Brown butter, plum, custard, honeysuckle, almond, toasted marshmallow, herbal tea, and medium ethanol. Palate - Cherry pie, fig, fresh black peppercorn, molasses, allspice, clove, grilled corn, and sweet oak. Finish is long with toasted rye grain, sweet oak tannins, raisins, herbs, clove, and medium ethanol bite. The admins of BCBC are Four Roses enthusiasts (fanatics), and this was the first pick they've procured for the group. It was hyped for months. What else should we expect from admins who own dozens of 4RSBBS picks? This is also my first time ever trying the barrel strength, it is extremely difficult to come by in NC. I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. Fortunately, this is a great barrel pick. It sits right at home with many of my other barrel proof bourbons in constant rotation. What distinguishes this from my usual heavy hitters like Elijah Craig, Barrell, and Jack Daniel's are creamy and floral notes that set it apart from the typical bourbon profile. Although it shares a very similar mashbill with MGP, it does not share the same flavor profile. It is definitely a great buy at $80, but I don't think it warrants the fervor and secondary market that make it impossible to obtain at most stores. I blame part of this on Four Roses, why not have a regular barrel proof offering in tandem with the single barrels and limited editions?
Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon (OBSQ)
About this bottle
Retailers, restaurants, and bars get invited to taste and custom bottle their own personally selected bourbon barrel though the Private Barrel Program at Four Roses. Although the ABV and age statement varies for each bottling, this bourbon is always non-chill-filtered and bottled at cask strength. The mash bill recipe used here is Four Roses OBSQ: 60% corn, 35% rye 5% malted barley and the floral essence yeast strain.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 20 parsed reviews.
Received a 2 oz sample from a friend. Lost the info on the barrel, age, proof, price, etc. Nose - Rose petal, brown sugar, Corn Pops, orange blossom honey, light cinnamon, rye bread, cardamon, light oak, and light ethanol. Palate - Oily, brown sugar simple syrup, coffee cake, cinnamon, black tea, and fresh rye bread. Finish is medium with sharp rye spice, over steeped black tea, honey, dry cinnamon, clove, oak bitters, and medium ethanol. This is light, creamy, and delicate, with a big kick at the end. It is unexpected given the sweet, floral notes and the initial sugary palate. Honestly I think it detracts from the overall experience, I'd rather experience those harsher, bold notes throughout the nosing and tasting. Still a really good bourbon, but the finish and the reason below lower the overall score. The other reason I've knocked the score down is because of the price and scarcity of these bottles. I'm not sure the hype is justified given they now retail between $90-100 and still difficult to find without a significant markup.
(11 year, 2 month pick from Mammoth Liquors in Campbellsville, KY) Delightful nose, full of cinnamon and vanilla. Palate is so rich, and a big, powerful finish follows it up. Wow. A delicious pastry of a drink.
Nose: Dusty corn funk. Oak, leather and brown sugar. Palate: Good mouthfeel. Spice turns to sweetness. Honey and wood spice. Finish: Medium long finish of spice and drying oak.
OBSQ tier 4 Bounty Hunter pick. 124 proof. Floral on the nose. Less so in flavor. Nice rye spice with some underlying fruit. Mild sweetness with nice medium finish.
This is pretty close to being my perfect bourbon. Caramel corn on the nose with bits of cherry sweetness and mild spice on the palate. Highly recommended FR recipe.
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