Four Roses. Ten recipes. Three standard releases. Two yearly limited releases.
If you’re like me, that all adds up to a very large amount of happiness.
I told you last time how, for Christmas, my wife and I bought each other a Private Selection Single Barrel bottle of each of the ten different recipes. and how we spent a nice Saturday tasting our way through my wife’s present: the OB line.
Well, this past Saturday we finished our project. We tasted our way through the Christmas present my wife gave to me, spending another really nice afternoon tasting the five different OE bourbons. The results are below.
OESK
Age: 9 years, 1 month
Label details: 58.0% ABV, Warehouse KW, Barrel 89-2P
Purchased at: The Party Source
Nose: Maple Syrup, citrus and a hint of ginger
Mouth: Thick and sweet. Honey and black pepper with a generous dose of oak, but not too much.
Finish: Bitter tannins, honey sweetness and a heat that just lasts.
Thoughts: Thick and sweet this is like drinking a spiced honey. Really tasty.
OESV
Age: 10 years, 1 month
Label details: 51.3% ABV, Warehouse ES, Barrel 78-1F
Purchased at: The Party Source
Nose: Delicate. mint, citrus and honey.
Mouth: Fresh and floral transitioning to bitter as it moves back in the mouth.
Finish: Warm and long. Fades to a pleasant bitterness.
Thoughts: If ever a bourbon asked for the descriptors of “crisp and refreshing,” this is it. I want a deck, a sunset and a glass of this with a little ice. Delicious.
OESF
Age: 11 years, 2 months
Label details: 57.9% ABV, Warehouse HW, Barrel 47-2H
Purchased at: The Party Source
Nose: Sweet pears with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Mouth: Peppery. Sweet brown sugar with just a hint of fruitiness.
Finish: Very long. Warm and sweet.
Thoughts: The nose on this one is obvious in its complexity, throwing up all of it’s aromas at once. The mouth and finish are mostly sweetness and heat. The finish is so nice, I had a hard time finding flavors—I kept forgetting myself and swallowing to savor it.
OESO
Age: 10 years, 3 months
Label details: 57.5% ABV, Warehouse BN, Barrel 30-3E
Purchased at: The Party Source
Nose: Caramel, warm earth, growing plants. Floral perfume.
Mouth: Dry with a hot peppery heat. Vanilla sugar.
Finish: There is a hint of the nose’s floral perfume that fades quickly to a slightly smokey cherry.
Thoughts: This is like a desert. Dry and hot. But somehow also sweet and comforting. It’s good, but I’d probably add a bit of water to tame it when drinking it. It also had an odd note that reminded me somewhat of a Canadian whisky I once had, though I don’t remember which one.
OESQ
Age: 9 years, 5 months
Label details: 58.5% ABV, Warehouse RN, Barrel 85-3N
Purchased at: The Party Source
Nose: Wild and uncontrollable at first. After it settles down a bit: rose petals and warm honey with a delicate hint of ginger.
Mouth: Sweet and slightly sharp. Brown sugar and a floral waxiness.
Finish: JuicyFruit gum fading to a nice bitterness. A pleasant warmth that lasts nicely.
Thoughts: Though I notice the resemblance to the OB version of this yeast, I’m not sure its as distinctive. I might not bat an eye at it’s “interestingness” but I’d drink it all night long and be happy with the choice.
I like all of these. In fact, I might be in love with the first three. The finish of the F, the refreshingness of the V, the sweet spiced honey of the K. Delicious. I’m very happy with the decision to buy all ten. I’m not sure I could choose between them if forced to buy just one.