Four Gate Old Sherry Pike (Batch 14)

App needs desktop functionality. Blend of 6 and 12 year. Heaven Hill and Barton. Not thrilled with 6-year-old Heaven Hill, but so it goes. Aged 88 days in a sherry cask from Kelvan. Unsure if it's a unique cask given the info. Smell: Sweet vanilla, pleasant sherry fruit, then some out-of-place funky earthy wood. The funk is overpowering, making it a bit strange overall. Will revisit after adding water. Taste: Young, dusty, nutty bourbon notes from Heaven Hill appear first. Then, intense bourbon flavor with a chocolate finish. Returning for another taste. Okay, this is a well-balanced, well-crafted bourbon showing signs of both youth and maturity. The Barton cinnamon apple notes are prominent. A very aged oak character emerges midway. The finish is medium-long and spicy. The sherry is present but not rich or heavy. With Water: Absolutely add water. The nose reveals lovely vanilla custard. The taste becomes sweeter, and the sherry fruitiness intensifies. I'm now detecting berries and even some chewy candy. Watermelon is very noticeable at the end. A massive improvement. This likely benefits greatly from aeration, so significant water won't be needed in six months. Content with this purchase, despite the $200 price. It's not a legendary blend or finish, but it's excellent bourbon. Score: 2.75. Wished they'd used less Heaven Hill or a different (or older, though costly) source.

NOSE Sherry, copper, strawberry shortcake, vanilla, roasted nuts, hints of oak and baking spice, dried cherries, and brown sugar. The sherry aroma is prominent, hitting strongly upfront followed by an undercurrent of everything else. PALATE Dried dark fruit, oak, baking spice, nuts, citrus peels, copper, freeze-dried blueberries, hazelnuts, and leather, with fruit syrup. It's sweet and spiced, with a substantial layer of oak and more earthy notes. It strikes an unusual yet balanced combination. FINISH Long; sherry, oak, and baking spice give way to an oaky spice.

The nose has notes of vanilla, sherry-soaked nuts, and baking spices. The palate echoes these flavors. The finish is long and warm, with hints of chocolate and oak spice. Is it worth $200? Absolutely not. At $100, it would have been outstanding, but I expected more for the price.