This is a hyped Four Roses release commemorating Al Young's 50 years as brand ambassador for Four Roses. It is a blend of 5% 23yr OBSV, 25% 15yr OBSK, 50% 13yr OESV and 20% 12yr OBSF.
It gets a bit hot on the finish, but that's soon smoothed over by the underlying vanilla sweetness, with vanilla pudding, biscuit and oak, as well as cinnamon and cloves.
The finish is lingering, subtle, and slightly dry with a touch of spearmint, apricot jam, and a soft touch of clove. It’s a whisky worthy of Al Young’s name!
In the case of Al Young's commemorative batch, it's the bottle of Four Roses that I will be most excited about returning to in the future. Not because it's rare or special, but because it marries together so many of the elements that I love over the masterful spectrum of Four Roses' various releases.
This was oakier, drier and more peppery than I would have liked, especially for such a "big" release. There are a host of private select bottled I'd have taken over this in a heart beat.
Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.
House Review
Nose:
Honey, clove, doughy and loaded with pepper. All spice and sweet floral fruitiness is here also.
Taste:
Medium mouthfeel, caramel and honey are very prominent. Spicy and peppery, lots of clove and growing oaky and tannic.
Finish:
Medium length, spicy and dry. Lots of pepper, faint allspice, some caramel and toffee.
Overall:
I like this but couldn't help but feel let down. This was oakier, drier and more peppery than I would have liked, especially for such a "big" release. There are a host of private select bottled I'd have taken over this in a heart beat.
Score:
85
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
Get the inside scoop on the latest & greatest spirit releases in our daily newsletter.
