Four Roses Just Dropped a Honey Cask-Finished Bourbon
For about a quarter century, Kentucky distillery Four Roses has been making bourbon using a combination of 10 different recipes, derived from the use of two mashbills and five unique yeast strains. But this past spring, it released its very first cask-finished bourbon, a spirit that was partially aged in Japanese mizunara oak. That series continues with this week’s launch of Experimental Series No. 002 Honey Cask Finish, a bourbon that spent some time in honey barrels that were previously used by the distillery.
Cask-finished whiskey has been released by many other distilleries, but as mentioned above, this year marks the first time that Four Roses has entered the category, to the delight of some whiskey drinkers and the chagrin of others. The new Experimental Series No. 002 combines bourbon aged from six to eight years that was made from the distillery’s OESQ and OBSK recipes. Those codes refer to the Four Roses distillery (O), specific mashbill (E is low rye, B is high rye), straight bourbon (S), and yeast strain (Q and K). After initial maturation, the whiskey was put into honey-seasoned barrels for three to nine months. These barrels came from local honey producer Bohman Bee Company, which previously used them to age its honey after they had already been used to mature bourbon (that makes them second-fill bourbon barrels when used for the finish).
“One of the things I love most about this release is how naturally it came together,” said master distiller Brent Elliott in a statement. “It simply started with barrels that had already taken on a unique character. The honey is there from the moment you bring the glass to your nose, but it’s never artificial or overpowering. If you have the chance to taste it alongside our Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey, you can really appreciate the journey those barrels have taken and the role they’ve played in both products.”
We had a chance to sample the bourbon last spring, and the honey character is front and center, but not overpowering. There are some floral notes on the palate as well, along with classic Four Roses notes of vanilla, maple, brown sugar, stone fruit, oak, and black pepper. And at 104 proof, there’s just a touch of heat on the back end. Experimental Series No. 002 will be available starting September 18 at the Four Roses Distillery and Cox’s Creek Visitor Centers in small 375 ml bottles (SRP $55).
