Jazzhead Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 (edited) I'm conducting an interesting exercise tonight, sipping side by side two four-grain craft bourbons with good reputations (Frey Ranch and Laws Four-grain Bonded) and then finishing things off with a good craft bourbon with a traditional rye-based mashbill (FEW) I guess I just don't get the point of a four-grain mashbill. If you want the softness of a wheated bourbon, why muck it up with rye spice? And why cut the rye spice with wheat? I can't say these two pours weren't enjoyable, there was good music playing, but I just think the four-grain is dull stuff. The FEW, even with less proof, delivered more flavor and was more satisfying. What do folks think of four-grains? Which ones are worthwhile? Edited August 5, 2021 by Jazzhead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0895 Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 4 minutes ago, Jazzhead said: What do folks think of four-grains? Which ones are worthwhile? The EH Taylor 4 grain was quite good. Also, the Woodford Wheat is actually a 4G recipe, and very good. I get your point though. Most likely, a distillery cat knocked some wheat into a mash cooker or something… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geclbxf Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 Spirits of French Lick has a nice four grain if we are talking crafts 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fosmith Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 3 hours ago, geclbxf said: Spirits of French Lick has a nice four grain if we are talking crafts I got a bottle of this from Seelbachs but haven't opened it yet. Mashbill is 60% Corn, 17% Wheat, 13% Oats, and 10% Caramel Malt. Time to move it from the back room to the liquor cabinet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDanner Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Woodford's Wheat and Malt Whiskies both qualify as four grain whiskies (just not 4 grain bourbon, of course). I am a casual fan of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 (edited) GW4G - 'nuf said! Edited August 6, 2021 by GeeTen 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_Loblaw Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, GeeTen said: GW4G - 'nuf said! I am not at home and forget. What’s the ratio on this 2:3 OGD:WSR? Meaning 10oz 114 and 15 oz WSR. Think that comes out to 99.6pf. Edited August 6, 2021 by Bob_Loblaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 13 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said: I am not at home and forget. What’s the ratio on this 2:3 OGD:WSR? Meaning 10oz 114 and 15 oz WSR. Think that comes out to 99.6pf. Yup, you're correct! See, your memory is not fading fast, particularly as it pertains to the important things in life, my friend! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_Loblaw Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 10 hours ago, GeeTen said: Yup, you're correct! See, your memory is not fading fast, particularly as it pertains to the important things in life, my friend! Thank you! It’s been quite awhile since I’ve made a batch of this. I’ll have to go pick up an OGD114 as that one I do not regularly keep on hand 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shizzy Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 The four grain I have from Frey Ranch is a barrel strength SiB pick. I recommend these for maximum pleasure. I've found it to be anything, but dull. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasking Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 "Worthwhile" is so subjective that I won't make any claims, but, another four grain bourbon I haven't seen mentioned is J. Henry & Sons, from Wisconsin. I don't know whether or to what extent it may be available elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 On 8/4/2021 at 11:06 PM, 0895 said: ...Also, the Woodford Wheat is actually a 4G recipe, and very good... On 8/6/2021 at 12:55 PM, BDanner said: Woodford's Wheat and Malt Whiskies both qualify as four grain whiskies (just not 4 grain bourbon, of course). I am a casual fan of both. I very much enjoy both the wheat and malt. And priced right, and available on the shelf. I really liked the old woodford master's 4 grain. surprisingly, it can still be had and sometimes for a not crazy price. https://static.whiskybase.com/storage/whiskies/9/7/229/155911-big.jpg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon_Watcher_84 Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 I quite enjoy the Frey Ranch and the Spirits of French Lick. Being in Northern Nevada, Frey is right down the road and I have access to a bunch of picks from them, and ALL have been excellent. Their 90-proof standard batch releases are good, not excellent, but like Shizzy said, their SiB four grain picks are anything but dull. I find a bit of complexity that I don't get in simple wheaters or standard rye mashbills. I don't think it's so simple as to say the "wheat cuts the rye and the rye gives spice to the wheat" and instead they compliment each other with a multitude of flavors I wouldn't get in other mashbills. It's just experimentation, and I think it works. I tried the EH Taylor 4 Grain in a bar several years ago and was pleased, but not enough to pay secondary prices for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 10 hours ago, Bourbon_Watcher_84 said: ..., but not enough to pay secondary prices for it. yea, that's hard to do for any drink. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzhead Posted September 16, 2021 Author Share Posted September 16, 2021 The best four-grain I've had so far is Penelope Cask Strength. The version I have is finished in a toasted barrel, so it may not be typical of the breed. The toasting adds a whiff of Mounds bar to the finish. Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon_Watcher_84 Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 13 hours ago, B.B. Babington said: yea, that's hard to do for any drink. The only time I've paid secondary price for a new bottle, I got burned and hated the juice. It was the 11 year old HH Old Fitz decanter. The first 2-3 pours were horrible. I let it sit for about 18 months before revisiting, and it has opened up a little bit, but I'm still not reaching for it. I keep it only for sharing with friends when they come over and want to try something they don't normally see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon_Watcher_84 Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 On 8/6/2021 at 10:43 AM, GeeTen said: GW4G - 'nuf said! OK, I need to try this... I have lots of both of these sitting around, and I love to make blends. Hadn't thought of this before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 12 hours ago, Bourbon_Watcher_84 said: OK, I need to try this... I have lots of both of these sitting around, and I love to make blends. Hadn't thought of this before. If you do a quick search for GW4G, you should pull up a thread or two discussing this blend and a few variations. I am NEVER without some even if I have to pay a premium for the Weller part. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughewil Posted May 8, 2022 Share Posted May 8, 2022 This is a nice cask strength 4 grain I found at a little craft distillery. It is an easy drinker for 120 proof. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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