I’d like to thank Four Roses and their PR Team for providing this sample with no strings attached.
Hello again folks! I sincerely hope you are ready for more Four Roses talk, because that’s what we are engaging in again tonight.
I’m on record as loving when companies experiment with their products. The very first review on the site was an experimental release from my friends over at MB Roland. The experience of tasting something super interesting, that may or may not be ready for prime time, is one of the reasons that I was big into the Craft Whiskey scene there for a long time. I’ve since gotten old and cranky, but I still enjoy seeing bourbon folks experiment now and then. And when it is coming from one of the few brands that I can honestly fanboy out over? That’s even cooler.
Tonight’s whiskey is the first in a series of experimental releases from Four Roses. And interestingly enough, it is one that embraces the Japanese ownership that Four Roses had until the recent acquisition by Gallo. Mizunara is a Japanese oak that is most well known in the whiskey world as being a wood used in the aging of some Scotch and Japanese whiskies. Even though the wood is notoriously hard to cooper (high water content leading to multiple years of drying before being made into barrels, poor water tightness once made into barrels, etc.), the flavor it provides seems to be enough for folks to keep working with it.
Here’s what Four Roses has to say about the choice:
The inaugural release, Experimental Series No. 001, is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak barrels. Prized in the whiskey world for its rarity and uniquely expressive flavor contribution, Mizunara oak was selected based first and foremost on flavor exploration. Throughout the finishing process, the Four Roses team monitored the barrels closely, pulling samples almost weekly to track maturation and determine the ideal balance point for each barrel individually before blending the final liquid.
Experimental Series No. 001 was developed through extensive trials across recipes, yeast strains, barrel specifications, and toast and char combinations to identify the ideal pairing for Mizunara oak’s distinctive flavor profile. Ultimately, [Master Distiller Brent] Elliott selected a six-year-old OBSK recipe for its ability to complement the oak’s layered spice characteristics while allowing its sweeter and more nuanced notes to shine through.
Let’s see how this experiment tastes.
Four Roses Experimental Series, Experiment 001, Mizunara Cask Finish
Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $55 for a 375 mL bottle. It was available at the Four Roses Distillery Visitor Center beginning July 30.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.33
Details: 6-year-old OBSK bourbon finished in Mizunara casks. 52% ABV.
Nose: Floral vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and an herbal, almost umami spice.
Mouth: Lots of spice notes right off the bat. Think cinnamon, allspice, sandalwood, and that same herbal spice from the nose. Other notes include floral vanilla, brown sugar, and almond.
Finish: Spicy, warm, and long with lingering notes of herbal spice, sandalwood, and almond.
Thoughts: If you like bourbons with tons of baking spice, this is one for you. It really is delicious. It takes the spiciness of a K yeast bourbon and layers the sandalwood and herbal spice notes of the Mizunara cask over it. Plus you get the underlying bourbon notes of vanilla and caramel/brown sugar as well. This is pretty damn good. I like it. This is one to take a good look at if you get the opportunity.
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