Four Roses Private Selection (OESF Tippins)

Thanks to /u/devoz for pouring me a sample while others reviewed something I’ve already had.

Four Roses. I’ve said many times that they are one of my favourite bourbon companies. Why? Because they pay me lots and lots of money.

That, of course, is a lie. A bald faced lie. If I was being paid, I’d say so. Seriously I make negative money writing these reviews.

No, the fact that Four Roses has multiple mashbills and yeasts, with amazing barrel management, is why I am impressed by the company. When it comes to bourbon, I’m impressed any time someone can find the balance of yeast and mashbills, as well as the time needed to bring it to market. Add to that the complexity and the blending/vatting of barrels to make a consistent product.

Thus when people ask me what blows me away by bourbon, I have said it’s the vatting of barrels, and in the case of Four Roses, it’s the vatting of 10 different recipes.

Thus when someone offers me Four Roses Private Selection (OESF Tippins), I say yes. Because it’ll be interesting. I personally can never remember what each yeast is. However I’ll try it out again. I did all 10 recipes awhile ago, which I’m still proud of. This one in particular was chosen by Tippins Specialty Wine & Foods, located in Detroit Michigan.

So let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Kentucky

Selected by: Tippins Specialty Wine & Foods

Age: 9 Years, 6 Months

Warehouse: JE

Barrel: 31-4N

Abv: 60.5%

Recipe: OESF

Colour: 10YR 7/10

Nose: Mint, butter, peanut butter, cereal

Initial nice amount of mint and butter. Taking some time, there’s additional peanut butter there. Creaminess, peanuts, and some cereal.

Basically it’s an American breakfast on the nose, sans bacon. But still unhealthy enough for me to enjoy it.

Taste: Grass, mint, plum, almond, peach

The taste sticks more to the minty toothpaste after the meal flavour. Wait, that makes it sound bad. I didn’t mean that at all.

It’s light, minty, has some interesting fruit/nutty notes. I’m actually surprised. Good amount of complexity here for something that’s 9 years. Which I feel I should say is mid age for a bourbon? Or is that old now? Am I old? I’m lost.

Nice flavour.

Finish: Peanut butter, apricot, mushroom, dry mint

Finish has some earth to it, some more of that creaminess, and a drying mint note that ends it all quite nicely.

Conclusion: A seriously good pick. Nothing super complex, however unique in the bourbon end of things. I think this is what you pour for more Scotch fans. Each individual flavour may not be super up there, however they nicely blend together for a more cohesive picture.

That said, bourbon fans wouldn’t be disappointed here too. Good amount of fruit and peanut butter, who doesn’t like that? Well other than kids who have allergies. They don’t count as humans though.

End of the day, good pick. More unique than complex, though has some complex notes to keep you interested.

83/100

Bourbon review #210, Kentucky review #131, Whiskey Network review #1273