BOTM 5/11: Four Roses Yellow Label

[fishnbowljoe]

Sorry I'm a day late with this one. I was at the sampler having fun.

I was a bit surprised that this months selection hadn't been BOTM before. So, there you go. Four Roses Yellow Label it is.

I've only had this once, and I thought it was pretty good. I didn't take any notes, so that's all I have to say. Yeah that's right. Me not having a lot to say for a change.

Cheers, and happy posting. Joe

[moose]

Good timing, I have been eyeing this bourbon in particular for quite some time now. Looks like now is the time to finally take it off the shelf, I'll report back with my review within the week if all goes well (finals week at school).

[Meremoth]

I'm really glad this one was picked, because I don't know anything about this bourbon. I have had both the Single Barrel and the Small Batch, but I have yet to try the Yellow Label.

I do have an unopened 5th of it, however.

The first thing I noticed was the plastic screw cap. Their other selections are corked.

Now, the plastic-cap isn't a turn-off for me, because one of my favorite bourbons, Weller Antique, uses a plastic-cap, but so do a bunch of other Wellers.

This is the only one, from the Four Roses family, that has one, if I'm not mistaken, which gives me the slightest pause.

Does anyone know how old this bourbon is?

I forgot how much I paid for it.

I would go ahead and already try this bourbon, but I didn't see this thread until I already started sippin' on some Buffalo Trace, and with this bourbon only being 80 proof, I think I have already ruined my palate.

Speaking of which, this bourbon is only 80 proof. I can't even remember the last time I had an 80-proof bourbon. Seriously, I'm thinking, and I cannot think of even one.

Hell, I cant even think of any 80 proof bourbons, lol. Wild Turkey 80 proof is the only one that even comes to mind, right of the bat, and I don't think I have ever even tried it. Loving Wild Turkey 101, I always thought the 80 proof would be a let-down.

Thankfully I have some of the Four Roses Small Batch to try in comparison.

I think I'll give it a whirl tomorrow night.

[tehbeardman]

I'm surprised more people haven't jumped on this one. I know Four Roses isn't available in every state, but it seems they have been pushing hard towards that goal.

Yellow Label is one of my favorite regular pours. It can be found @ <$20 in my state. Many members will likely mention that it is a great summertime pour, and I will have to agree.

The great thing about the Yellow Label is that I feel like they do a great job of putting a lot of flavor into a light bodied 80 proofer. It is a great change of pace from my other everyday pour bourbons, which tend to by in your face with flavor types (OGD 114, WT101, etc).

FRYL has a nice subtle floral, rye, vanilla nose. Initial taste is very very subtle, maybe some carmel-y maple syrup, but again, very light. Also, no alcohol burn at all. The finish is where this really shines for me. A burst of gentle spiciness gently tingles your tongue. I also get some vanilla and rye.

The reason I think a lot of people say it's a great summer bourbon is because of it's light body, laid back taste, but a great finish to make it worth your time. In the summertime, after working hard, you want to sit outside, lay back, and drink a relaxing bourbon, and for me FRYL fits that bill.

[White Dog]

Nose starts out a bit medicinal, followed by lots of mint and clove on the middle, and a nice touch of coffee and maple on the finish.

It's good, and I would say it's one of the best, if not the best, 80 proofer on the market.

That said, I never reach for it. I hate to say this, as I often complain that Bourbon connoisseurs are the most frugal group of people on the planet, but at $20 it's never gonna be a staple for me. If it was $15, I'd swim in it, but for near $20 there are just too many other higher proof options out there. Weller SR, OGD, VOB, WT101... And if I want a summer Bourbon, I'll drop an ice cube in OGD.

(Before Josh and Oscar jump on my case, let me also state that I adore the house of FR. I try to stash as much SBLE 2009 and 100th as I can afford, and I love FRSB, Mariage 2009 and SmB LE 2009 as well.)

[Gillman]

I just tasted this, in the company of T Comp, at the distillery. It is a smooth buttery number, with an appealing yellow fruit character. Every bottle (to my taste) is slightly different and I bought one from the distillery shop and hope it is exactly the same because the one tasted on this tour was superlative. But it's all good, as they say.

Gary

[chefnash51]

never had this before but have seen several times.

When I learned that this was a blend of all 10 four roses recipes, I became intrigued. I may have to pick a bottle of this up.

[Meremoth]

This has to be one of the lightest bodied/mouthfeel I have ever had, not in bad way, mind you.

Not much woodiness or dark flavors, which allows the fruitiness of this bourbon to shine. I taste pears and green apples. Not too sweet, though, thank god. Being overly-sweet would have killed this bourbon for me.

The finish has a lot more rye spiciness than you would expect, which helps balance the fruit flavors.

Overall this is a very laid-back, extremely easy to drink, bourbon. Nice change of pace from the heavier bourbons, where the dark flavors sometimes mask the lighter-fruity flavors.

Definitely a summer-time bourbon.

[moose]

Acquired my bottle today, will be sampling it with some company this weekend, will try to take notes of our results and see how they compare with those poster here.

[cigarnv]

Probably the best value all around bourbon in the under $20 market. For an 80 proofer it has enough flavor to enjoy neat and works well as a mixer. Always a bottle open on my bar....