Drink Review: Four Roses Original

November 20, 2020
3 mins read

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(Yellow Label) Bourbon

Formerly known as Yellow Label, this is a very popular bourbon, aged a minimum of five years in oak barrels for extra smoothness and carefully blended for a consistently smooth, creamy flavour.

Four Roses Yellow Label Review:

Easily my favourite Four Roses Yellow Label, and this continues to be the bourbon I turn to for my morning coffee as it is so smooth and satisfying.

This particular expression of Yellow Label is also available in the less abundant and extremely more expensive Single Barrel variation. To properly taste and assay the differences between these two variations I would suggest that you rebuy a bottle not only of Yellow Label, but also of Single Barrel.

If you are buying ahead of time, make sure you store your yellow label in a cool, dark place (I would recommend an air tight container in the box it comes in to prevent discolouration) and in the original box to prevent light damage.

4 Overall – A Delicious Decent Bourbon

 Though a nice bourbon, I would not recommend pouring it into a shot glass and lighting it. Its already too smooth to be over-sugared and agitated by fire!

I have only ever sampled Yellow Label to a small extent in the past, but I am sufficiently impressed that I will be ordering at least a case and leaving it resting in a cool, dark environment, ready to dip into for the next twelve months or so.

Comparisons:

While Springbank 12s are not typically preferred by Bourbon enthusiasts, the newest addition to that particular segment of the market is a cut above the rest.

Instead of going with the cheap and efficient method of aging whiskies for less than a year to launch cocktails, it took seven years and 70 barrels to create this new wave of Springbank.

Instead of putting a generic time frame on them, they are found to be a limited edition.

The price is slightly steep, but “well worth the price for these extremely smooth, mellow and full-flavoured whiskies” as the full picture at  http://www.asda.com/ springbank/products/special-offer/ reflects.

The 1845 Springbank is the best of the best… the only “special”ties… budget wise.

Currently, Springbank Distillers Gold is the most expensive non-limited edition Bourbon that I have tried to date…

Sometimes its the simplest thing that is the best.

Drink Review: Four Roses 107

(Yellow Label) Bourbon

Four Roses Original Red Label Review:

This particular brand of Bourbon is based on a recipe created by Frank Klein in 1934. The aging process is in a newly charred oak barrel, more specifically, one with no brand designation. The author of the following was inspired to taste Four Roses Yellow Label years after he had tried the latter. He describes it as a very mellow, smooth and enjoyable spirit…

I find that Four Roses 107 captures the same type of flavour in a rather more concentrated form than Yellow Label. This may be because it is aged a shorter time, but I also feel that the zest that adds to the flavour is inspired by the spontaneous aging involved.

Four Roses Original Red Label Review:

For me, this is another killer drop, not too overpowering, and really quite enjoyable. It has just enough of the alcohol “bite” to keep me interested in the first two or three rounds, but it still manages to gently caress my lips and leave me craving more.

Though a different approach to bourbon-aging, Four Roses Original Red Label does have its perks, in particular; an excellent fruity taste that lingers pleasantly on the palate. Old corncobs that have dropped through the wood and met an unavailability of oxygen in the process.

It has an unmistakable taste of real tobacco, with a slightly bitter overtone of caramel. This taste does not grow in intensity with continued consumption, leaving me feeling that it is very civilized.

There is something to be said for opening a bottle of this and allowing the acidity to diffuse slowly. The aftertaste of this kind of Bacchanalian bacchanal is completely different to that of a carelessly drunk cask-strength sample.

Pricing wise, it’s still reasonably affordable and available widely.

Drink Review: Four Roses Yellow Label

(Yellow Label) Bourbon

Four Roses Original Red Label Review:

In my opinion, Yellow Label is a very smooth, mellow and enjoyable spirit, but one which likeSpringbank 12s is not perfect for any Bourbon enthusiast to dwell on long term.

This taste is very subtle, but still enjoyable. It is not too harsh, but strong enough to capture my attention at the end of a drink.

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