Four roses cult following here

[tylermke]

Did somebody say Turkey? :looksaround:

Nothing to see here, move along.

[BrooklynBorbone]

Real nice BrooklynBorbone, I just had to dig out some old pics from last year.

Missing are the 2014 4R1B LE but I did locate some and it's on it's way.

4R1B LE

5 '07, 4 '08, 4 '09, 2 '10, 4 '11, 3 '12 & 3 '13

Mariage & SmB LE

5 '08 Mar, 5 '09 Mar, 2 '10, 2 '11, 3 '12 & 3 '13

These are the 10 indivdual recipes selected by Binny's, bottled at barrel strength

Front row 1 of each recipe

Back row additional botttles of 3 OBSK & 3 OESO

L to R

current label bourbon, old label bourbon, pre Seagram ownership bourbon 1930's era?,

4R Antique 6yo 86pfr & another one in different label, both Louisville, 1960's

2 export 1B's, black label Kirin owner, green label Seagram owner

2 Japanese exports, Super Premium & Black Label

Blended Whiskey, Blended Whiskey & American Light Whiskey

Front row, L to R

1930's era pre Seagram Bourbon 50ml,

Japanese recipe samples Floral, Spicey, Fruity 50ml 112prf

4R1B selected by Tony Curtis & Oscar V Hightower

Secretariat 40th Ann Triple Crown

"Angel's Share" bottle, only 24 bottles came out of this barrel, 10yo 112.4prf, selected by Mr Rutledge for Shopper's Vineyard

3 more Japanese samples and a 4R1B 50ml

Back row, standard 4R1B & 4RSmB

Close up of the 1030's era mini, Japanese samples & 4R1B mini

Close up of the side sticker of the 4R1B we selected

HOLY MOLEY. One day I hope to have that. I do have all the LE's, both SmB and SiB, but not as deep as you do. In fact, I only have one of a few of them. I do have the Liquor Barn 10, Party Source 10 and Crown Liquors 10. This stuff was what my grandftaher drank when he returned from the Navy in WW2, and he drank a lot of it.

[OscarV]

As mentioned earlier about having a line on some 2014 1B LE's, well I reeled them in today.

[hectic1]

Picked up some new bottles of Four Roses...also completed the collection by selecting a least a barrel of each recipe.

[OscarV]

Nice haul. Love the pics.

[Phil T]

Awesome as always Bob. You are certainly well prepared for the apocalypse that comes in 18 months.

Surprised to see the 8 1/2 yr old in the mix, must have been great. Not sure I've seen such a young private bottling?

Edited August 3, 2014 by Phil T

[fishnbowljoe]

I am continuing my foray back into the world of Four Rose's bourbon(s). Yeah I know. What's the world coming to? An avowed wheater lover like me turning to FR's. What can I say? I too, purchased some FR's today. Below is a picture of my large haul. :grin:

Cheers! Joe

[smokinjoe]

I am continuing my foray back into the world of Four Rose's bourbon(s). Yeah I know. What's the world coming to? An avowed wheater lover like me turning to FR's. What can I say? I too, purchased some FR's today. Below is a picture of my large haul. :grin:

Cheers! Joe

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19084[/ATTACH]

And I thought I knew you...

A perfect choice, Joe. I love all of the wonderful magic that 4R can bring to the table with their many recipe options. And, as a bourbon enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoy trying to wrap my head around each of the SBLE, SmBLE, BP SP, etc., selections there are (The OESO I've recently been working on is positively hypnotic in the multitude of faces it shows with varying amounts of water, for instance). But, I would take that regular 4RSB every time as my 4R desert island bourbon.

[Vosgar]

And I thought I knew you...

Hey Joe, fishnbowljoe and I will be at a Lagunitas tasting tomorrow night so I'll check for signs of heat stroke, dementia, blows to the head, etc.

[smokinjoe]

Hey Joe, fishnbowljoe and I will be at a Lagunitas tasting tomorrow night so I'll check for signs of heat stroke, dementia, blows to the head, etc.

[tanstaafl2]

Just occurred to me as a result of another post why the mashbills of Four Roses and MGP are so similar (yes, I can be a bit dense at times!). Both are presumably legacies of Seagram's ownership.

Four Roses Mashbills

B = 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley

E = 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley

MGP Mashbills

Higher Rye Bourbon = 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley

Lower Rye Bourbon = 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

In fact it is more curious to me why they develop the very slight differences.

Edited August 4, 2014 by tanstaafl2

[Dave43]

Just found handles of YL for $24. Never had it but couldn't pass up as I bought few.

[The Black Tot]

Might as well ask the cult...

I see a lot of 4R selections @100 or 110 proof. The odd one seems to push 122.

Does 4R ever bottle any "super proofer" selections? I'm thinking 130 plus?

I'm not trying to be a man's man or anything - I plan to add water. But I take bottles across borders a lot, and I'd like to know if 4R ever offers barrels proofed that high to make for some great "whiskey from concentrate" - in other words, the most possible pours per bottle/journey.

I know some will say "call and ask them", but I'm not ready for that yet. I still have to track down all 10 recipes and get familiarized with what recipe(s) I'd go for. Easy job in Chicago and Kentucky - difficult job in Texas.

Edited August 17, 2014 by The Black Tot

[mbroo5880i]

I don't believe I have ever seen one above 125 proof.

[The Black Tot]

I don't believe I have ever seen one above 125 proof.

Thanks, Mrbroo. I wonder if it's due to their rackhouse design, or their desire to get barrels out the door in 8-11yrs. I've heard people mention the older barrels have mostly been blended by now.

[Harry in WashDC]

Under the federal regs re: definition of bourbon whiskey (27 CFR 5.22((1)(i)), spirit can only be called "bourbon whisky" if it is "stored at" not more than 125 proof. Even accounting for evaporation of water vs. evaporation of ethanol during aging, I'd suppose that, technically, it might not be legitimately called "bourbon whisky" if, during aging, it "exceeds" 125 proof. We are now in the realm of "yeah, I'm an attorney, but I don't know enough to give an opinion unless you pay me a ton of money up front" so I decline to give a professional opinion (don't send money: I'm retired, you know, so I don't care anymore). I recall that both Chuck Cowdery's "Bourbon Straight" and Mike Veach's "Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey" have chapters talking about this. IN SUM - I'd be surprised to see a Barrel Proofer above 125 if only because the distiller wants to avoid people like us SBers nitpicking or going all fractious.:grin:

[squire]

Harry I believe those provisions apply only to an entry proof of 125 so subsequent proof changes as the whisky ages would not defeat the classification.

[The Black Tot]

I'll leave it to you to call GTS, WLW, and ECBP "not bourbon"

I'm not going to dream of clashing experience with Mr Cowdery nor Mr Veach, but surely we can agree that whether or not bourbons CAN go over 125, bourbons DO nonetheless.

Perhaps that is indeed their rationale, but if it's a private selection, I'm happy to call it something else.

Would not a bourbon, by any other name, taste as sweet?

[Harry in WashDC]

I thought the reg's language that proof couldn't exceed 160: bourbon whisky is ". . . whisky produced at not exceeding 160 proof . . . " meant that entry proof. that is, proof going into the barrel, could not exceed 160 proof which, I think, is sometimes referred to as "proof off the still". I'm less sure about the reg's language saying that spirit, to be called "bourbon whisky", must be stored at "not more than 125 proof". Is there a practical way to ensure that no barrel will EVER have a proof over 125? I don't think so - short of sticking little hygrometers (or similar things) in each barrel. So, I figured that, when the barrel is tapped, somebody checks the proof - if over 125? add water. If under? leave alone. IF you want to call it "bourbon whisky".

In other words, isn't 125 the maximum proof that a "bourbon whisky" can have? Something falling outside this could still be called "whisky" (see 27 CFR 5.22((1) Class 2) but not "bourbon whisky". Are we getting out in the weeds here?

[The Black Tot]

Harry I believe those provisions apply only to an entry proof of 125 so subsequent proof changes as the whisky ages would not defeat the classification.

This is how I understand it as well.

[callmeox]

Regs are below 160 off the still, 125 or below into the barrel.

[Harry in WashDC]

Hhhmm. OKay. Proof off the still = 160 max. Proof into the barrel = 125 max. Got it. As my friend, Emily Litella, used to say, "Oh . . . Never mind."

[squire]

Scott is correct and these words of limitation set the maximum proof levels off the still and into the barrel. Basically, if it leaves the still at 160 and enters a new charred oak barrel at 125 then two years and a day later it's Straight Bourbon irrespective of changes in proof during aging.

[The Black Tot]

...and it's usually the barrels stacked up high in the warehouses that raise the highest in proof during maturation, correct?

thinking on this, aren't 4R rack houses lower in height than many of the others? Would this be a reason for not many "astro-proofers" out of 4R?

[Phil T]

I don't believe I have ever seen one above 125 proof.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Phil T