Four Roses Salutes Rutledge with "Barrel Strength" Limited-Edition Bourbon

[fog]

One of Wild Tukey's marketing points is their low distillation proof. I have not seen similar marketing by Four Roses, although perhaps Four Roses is cut with even less water, given that Rare Breed is a little under 110 proof.

[Gillman]

I'm not sure what FR's distillation proof is. My guess would be they distill at 130-140 and let it down to 125 for the barrel. From there, the ones that do not increase in alcohol will go perhaps (over 6-7-8 years for the Single Barrel) down to 110 or less and as you suggest are reduced a bit to meet the 100 proof requirement for this brand. The ones at 13 years plus go lower simply because the process is going on that much longer (exterior humidity reduces the water coming out of the barrel while letting the alcohol out untramelled). But say they distill at around 110, well then the drop over 7 years might be to 105 and 100 or so for the older ones. In other words, I don't know the loss rate of ethanol and the distilling-out proof and am just giving examples of what I think happens but the first one is (in my belief) probably closer to the reality.

[AVB]

So what seems to be the going price of this?

[Gillman]

$60.00

Gary

[MikeK]

I was puzzled at the low barrel proof of this edition. I wondered if Four Roses single story warehouses made the proof go down over time. He mentioned something about these barrels being from an experimental batch that may have been entered into the barrel at 100 proof. He then had to go and I didn't get any further info.

[Khari]

Is there anyone in the Bellevue, KY area that would be willing to pick up a bottle and ship it for me? I'm happy to pay in advance. Please? Pretty please?

[ThomasH]

When I toured Four Roses last year, I was told that they distill to 140 proof and was even given ataste right off the still. The stuff I had was quite sweet tasting. I can't remember the what proof they barreled to!

Thomas

[Gillman]

Interesting if they diluted to 100 from 140, Mike. In that case, the proof (as one would expect in Kentucky) would have gone up somewhat. I would think that is a fairly large dilution, but I don't really know of course. Maybe he meant they distilled and they entered at about 100?

Gary

[BourbonJoe]

$60.00

Gary

$75.00 at Toddy's. He screwed us for the last time though.

Joe :usflag:

[barturtle]

Of the 9 I bought 8 were $60 one was $55

[luv2hunt]

$75.00 at Toddy's. He screwed us for the last time though.

Joe :usflag:

I can't believe you bought them! I drove around and picked some up priced appropriately at $59.99! One cent cheaper than at the Four Roses Breakfast What a deal!

Dawn

[MikeK]

That seems to be an unfortunate trend at Toddy's this year. He wanted $50 for VWFRR. We left it on the counter and found all we wanted elsewhere for $37.

:hot:

[OscarV]

Got my two bottles today via the mail.

Barrel No. 17-1C

Warehouse No. SS

102.8 proof

Barrel No. 17-1G

Warehouse No. SS

101.6 proof

Please don't ask me what I paid, cuz I don't like to be laughed at, but I do have two!!

Besides bourbon will get you thru times of no money, better than money will get you thru times of no bourbon.

[darkluna]

Attaching the official Four Roses news release for future reference

BarrelStrengthProduct.pdf

[Gillman]

Here's a formal review of FRBS, Barrel No. 15-1B, only 50.2% ABV.

Of the 1442 bottles in total filled, mine was the 29th (per side label), so presumably 15-1B was the first dumped or at least packaged.

The nose discloses a typical Four Roses Single Barrel smell, but more intensely. There is cinammon red hots, some well-seasoned wood and alcohol, and some kind of fermented fruit underneath. Also, there is a certain odour that I used to talk about in the best whiskeys, which is the "old roses" or aged damask rose smell, "old books" partly too. Some of this may be from the rye since I found it both in the best younger and older ryes (e.g., WT rye and Julian's ryes).

Colour is a dark reddish copper.

The taste is a little bitter, tangy, not necessarily well-integrated, but full of diverse flavours. It is not as complete as I would like, maybe a little too dry.

Now if I could taste a vatting of all ten, or even five, but you know where I'm coming from..

This bottle still will get very good use: the riot of flavours will shine through with rocks treatment, or maybe even a dash of water to display them. Bourbons that are not silky smooth are best drunk that way, and a silky smooth bourbon often seems bland with rocks or water, so it all kind of makes sense.

Still, I'd like to taste the 9 others (as I did Charles Miller's 10 barrel samples of Weller 107); if I did I'm sure I'd find where the sweet spot is.

Gary

[AVB]

I just got a bottle from barrel 15-1B at 100.4 proof if you want to update your listing.

Ack, I didn't scroll down to see the review. I guess you know all about barrel 15-1B already.

[Vange]

AVB, where did you get one of these? I cant track anyone in NY that has them in stock yet.

[AVB]

I live near YORK, PA not New York. A friend who lives in Kentucky sent me one.

AVB, where did you get one of these? I cant track anyone in NY that has them in stock yet.

[AVB]

Is anyone tracking bottle numbers too? Mine is 63/1442 so that leads me to believe that barrel 15-1B was the first bottled.

[Gillman]

I notice a lot of interest in this bottling and some of it I know comes from the simple desire to collect a rare item. I don't share that interest, since I buy only to drink the bottles within a short time, but I understand it since the collecting bug is one shared by many people.

For those interested only in the taste, I can only speak to the bottling I have tried, which is 15-1B. In my view it is certainly good whiskey but not superlative. I just can't speak for the other 9, we know how barrels can vary one to the other. The others may be great or some of them and if so people will want understandably to try to get or taste one of those.

But if they all taste like mine did, I would say, you are not missing anything essential. Based on my tasting of this one expression of the Barrel Strength release, I would say the regular single barrel is still the classic expression of Four Roses or in other words, Four Roses at its best.

Gary

[Vange]

I live near YORK, PA not New York.

OOPS! Thanks anyway though.

[camduncan]

But if they all taste like mine did, I would say, you are not missing anything essential. Based on my tasting of this one expression of the Barrel Strength release, I would say the regular single barrel is still the classic expression of Four Roses or in other words, Four Roses at its best.

Gary

Interesting Gary - I particularly note the comparisson too FR SB, as I was just (very generously) sent a 90 proof FRSB bottle by one of the SB.com members. We can't get Four Roses here in Australia*, so I'll be interested to taste both bottles when my Barrel Strength bottle arrives.

* There is a single retail outlet interstate who is selling Four Roses imported from the UK (we believe). I have three bottles of standard yellow label Four Roses and two bottles of the UK Single Barrel on hand, but have only opened one of the yellow label bottles so far.

[Gillman]

I'd be interested in your reaction when you get the Barrel Strength, Cam.

Gary

[OscarV]

$75.00 at Toddy's. He screwed us for the last time though.

Joe :usflag:

So what's up with this guy?

I called him,(Guthrie) last Monday and gave him my card number to send me up a bottle of the Willet Estate Bourbon.

I checked my card purchases and he has not charged me for this,or sent it up.

Last year when BTAC Handy Rye came out I called down and again gave him my card number to send me up one.

A week after that nothing on my charges.

So I called down and asked if there was a problem, and he told me something about his family and no time etc.

But he would "ship it out tomorrow".

Still ain't got it.

Is he dumb or just a jerk?

If he doesn't want to do mail shipments then why does he do all that used car salesman BS and then just blows you off?

[HighTower]

Well it didn't take long for one to end up on ebay

US$139.99!!

Went to the UK.

Scott