Four Gate Barossa Creek (Batch 23)

The nose begins with a mix of dill fronds, butterscotch pudding, raspberry coulis, and a slightly broken-in catcher’s mitt, followed by freshly baked pumpernickel bread, pipe tobacco, and dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, then freeze-dried strawberries, cherry pie filling, and sautéed apples. This transitions to ginger, cloves, fennel, black pepper, and mildly bitter oak with a high ethanol burn. The taste has a medium to full mouthfeel, starting with sweet red berries and butterscotch pudding, which quickly shifts to a highly bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to a spicy mocha and burnt caraway seeds, then sour cherries, strawberries, and lemon peel. This transitions to ginger, dill, black pepper, and moderately bitter oak with a high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with burnt caraway seeds, strawberry pie, butterscotch candy, pipe tobacco, cocoa nibs, dill, and mildly bitter oak. After a friend reviewed this, I decided to dive in. The nose seemed simply wonderful, with those rye notes being prominent but underscored by sweet caramel, cooked red berries, and light earthy notes that lure you in for a taste. It starts promisingly with creamy red berries and butterscotch but quickly becomes overwhelmingly bitter and sour, which remains until the finish that is mildly bitter with a mix of rye, cooked red berries, and light earthy notes. At a price of $200, this was unfortunately underwhelming and doesn't justify its premium cost, but I’m really grateful that a friend was generous enough to send me a sample to taste.

Full disclosure, I’ve never had an Australian port (activate a certain user) but I’m imagining a smoky, richly sweet and slightly mineral swath of notes. This has a nice tawny color to it and a slightly shy nose. Sweet, soft notes of cornbread, honey, caraway, rye and red berries. There are some sharper bits from the oak and alcohol to keep it balanced. The longer it sits the more rye-dominant it becomes and maybe some chocolate and tobacco pop out without much trace of those aforementioned berry notes. Somewhat hot with a strong herbal rye presence and a big, unexpected pop of cinnamon stick. I’m searching for port notes and maybe with a bit of water there are some pomegranate and cranberry notes, but they’re pretty buried. This really needs water to be approachable. The heat dials back quickly and the viscosity improves. That cinnamon stick still hits up front but potpourri notes follow along and a slightly floral element blends with the wood and vanilla extract on the finish. Where the rye was sourced from is a toss up, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it is Canadian although another user mentioned MGP. The bourbon is almost certainly Barton but who cares. This is hot as hell and gets more interesting with water but lacks the wow factor I expect from this price range. Regardless, I tip my hat to another user for going out on a ledge with this one. If the aroma from the empty glass matched the palate I’d buy a bottle myself but the palate was just a bit of an attack on my senses. Demerit for price.

I had always been curious about Four Gate. They appear to have excellent reviews here, and they seem to be skilled blenders using interesting finishes. The price has always been a deterrent for me—at $200, it seems risky without a prior sample. This particular offering is a bourbon and rye blend, finished for a period in Australian tawny port wines. The bourbon is from KY, and the rye is from MGP. I'm a big fan of Aussie tawny port, so I thought a finish in one might suit my preferences. One thing is certain...Aussie tawny ports are big and bold with fruity notes, so I can imagine a significant cask influence. The nose on this is great...I'm enjoying the red plums, berries, and oak. Cherries and mint are present. The rye is dominant. The taste...wasn't as impressive. The port is clearly the main component. The rye follows, but it doesn't feel like an orchestra; it's more like individual musicians. I'm detecting disjointed flavors from the rye, bourbon, and port. Instead of a silky, cohesive taste, it just feels too disorganized. I expected more from a $200 bottle purchase. It would be interesting to get your thoughts on this... this was one of the samples from our last tasting. I wasn't impressed at all, but it might be a case of individual preference.

Rating: 16/23 This sample of bourbon-rye was provided by a friend. - Nose - There's a clean water aspect mixed with rye herbaceousness and spice. There's a bit of rich grain wort emerging, followed by sweet red fruits. A touch of malty sweetness. - Palate - Sweet, with a surprisingly rich and full character. There's some herbal nuance as well that adds depth without becoming excessively bitter. There's a light toasted wood layer, contrasting with the sweet dried red fruits, which blend in surprisingly well. - Finish - A bit on the bitter side, but quite rich. Lingering fruit is even less discernible than before. - Conclusion - I like this. There's a nice balance. The flavors, although more harmonious than I expected, are also a bit indistinct. I find a certain single barrel rye to be better than this. I think this is a 16.