Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Four Roses Single Barrel Review Showdown Part 3 of 10: Five Points Bottle Shop OESO

Today is another entry in my rundown through all ten recipes in the Four Roses Single Barrel lineup. All the bottles in this series are from various private selections so they vary in age but my hope is the underlying characteristics of each recipe will shine through and I can pick my favorite. I'm starting with the OE series and then working my way towards the OBs.
56.3% ABV; Aged 10 years & 8 months; Selected by Five Points Bottle Shop in Athens, GA (thanks to redditor /u/zramz)

Nose: A little hot, even after breathing for quite a while. Nose is mild in flavor but there is some caramel sweetness - more than the OESK but less than the OESF. Mostly get oak, leather, and tobacco.
Taste: Initial rush of honey and caramel sweetness quickly followed by a dose of minty menthol rye spice. Spicy cinnamon apples and hot cherry.
Finish: Short to Medium. Like the OESK, the spice heat lasts longer than the taste. There is some burnt citrus and charred oak. That last note might sound bad but it's actually rather pleasant. Spice is also very dominant in the finish, mostly mint and cinnamon. The heat is a long warm glow but it's not as high or sharp as the OESK which is good.
Notes: The Four Roses notes for this one say "Fruity (Red Berries), Medium Body". I didn't specifically get red berries but I did pick up on a lot of other fruit nuances. I like this recipe a lot better than the OESK but it's not nearly as good as the OESF. I would probably pass on a private selection of this recipe in the future unless someone could point me towards a particularly good barrel.
Rating: B

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