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Monday, January 23, 2017

Four Roses Binny's Private Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon OESO

VITALS:
- $60
- 118.2 Proof
- 9 Years, 8 Months
- Barrel No. 81-40

This is the fifth recipe that I've managed to get my hands on, putting me right at the halfway point. Many thanks to Binny's consistent efforts to make these private selections! I don't know how difficult it will be to find the last two when I get to that point, but I am certainly looking forward to that chase.

In the meantime, I couldn't wait to pop this one open as it had been a bit since my last. The nose is a distinct leathery scent. mixed with vanilla and baking spices, kind of an allspice or cloves scent. This combo made for a great nose, and that tangy spice was certainly a hint of what was to come.

The first thing that really struck me with this bourbon was its incredibly oily texture. I've never had a bourbon that coated the mouth as much as this one does. This is an incredibly full bodied bourbon with some long, sturdy legs on it!

The initial sip gave of lots of almond and vanilla, but it also had a certain tang to it, kind of like amaretto liqeur. I couldn't quite place that tang, but it was almost a brandy-esque flavor, with light fruit notes to underscore the almond and vanilla.

It also gives off towards the end a decent burnt sugar flavor, which, after swallowing, transformed to a nice caramel flavor that would just sit at the back of my throat and hang out there for a while. The combination of everything results in a sweet nutty-ness, kind of like toffee coated peanuts, but with an interesting twist.

After the bottle had been open for a few weeks, the sweet almond flavor seemed to really take front and center, and it was underscored by a light licorice note, perhaps what was previously the tangy allspice/brandy note.

This is a very complex, very bold and very rich bourbon. It had a lot of flavors going on, but they all seemed to come together to make for a delicious and interesting pour. It's been a while since I've been truly disappointed to have finished the last drop of a bottle, but such was the case with this one.

Grade: A

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