If you follow me on Twitter, you might realize that I am a passionate guy. Whether the topic is politics, football or my loved ones, my opinion is out there for the world to see. But there is no topic that I am more passionate about than my wife. Over the years, I've lost count of the number of times that I've slept in a hospital chair as she recovered from surgery. But the one that happened about five years ago was the worst by far because that was the time she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
One of the reasons that I love my wife so much is that she has an unconquerable spirit. Instead of just quietly accepting her illness, she took every bit of her doctor's advice. She not only went through the chemotherapy but, to quote her, she did her very best not to let it "get in the way of living." Three months after Chemo was over, with her full strength just starting to return, she hiked up a mountain in the Rockies.
My wife truly is the best thing in my life. And so on Monday, when she got back from her cancer doctor and said that the doctor didn't need to see her anymore, we felt it was worth celebrating. And yesterday when we got the final test results back, we felt like celebrating again. Now yesterday's dram was pretty special. During one of her last Chemo treatments, we read the news that Elijah Craig 18 year was going on hiatus. She had me run out the next day and buy her two bottles. One to drink then, and one to put away until she officially reached five years cancer-free. Last night we opened that bottle to celebrate. It was the tastiest bourbon I've ever tasted, and it had almost nothing to do with what was inside the bottle.
Oh and the one we celebrated with on Monday? Well, that was a sample generously shared with me by a friend of mine. It was last year's Four Roses Elliot's Select. We have been big fans of Four Roses for a long time. Just about five years in fact...
See, my wife was sitting down in the chair for her first Chemo treatment. She was nervous as hell, as you might expect and earlier that morning she'd posted such on Twitter. Once her treatment began she basically just had to sit in the chair until it was done. When she opened her phone, she found a simple message from the Four Roses Twitter account: "Get well soon! You are in our thoughts." It's weird how much the fact that someone who wasn't a friend or family was thinking of her affected us both. From that moment on, I've been an unashamed Four Roses fanboy. So celebrating with a glass of Elliot's Select just seemed appropriate.
Four Roses Elliot's Select Single Barrel, 2016
Purchase Info: This large sample was a generous gift to us by one of our whiskey loving friends.
Details: 14 years old. OESK recipe. 58.6% ABV. Warehouse QN. Barrel 532W. Bottle 9483 of 10,224.
Nose: Brown Sugar, cedar, and a lovely floral note.
Mouth: Hot and sweet. Floral, nutmeg, and anise. The mouthfeel is lovely and viscous.
Finish: Long and hot with lingering floral notes.
Thoughts: (I did these tasting notes before we got the good news, so it didn't affect what I am about to say) I love this. I never seek out the Limited Single Barrels because they are mostly sold closer to the tall buildings here in the metro than I regularly venture. I really wish I had sought it out. I love floral Four Roses bourbons and much to my surprise, this OESK had that in spades. Just so much love!
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