Four Gate The Kelvin Collaboration II (Batch 6)

There's talk that this is a 12-year-old bourbon, but batch one was listed as 11 years, and there's no mention here, so I'm doubtful. For those who don't know, this is an independent bottling (sourced) with special cask finishing. They haven't revealed the bourbon's origin, but I suspect it's from Kentucky. Nose: Sweet, buttery, a clear alcohol presence, chocolaty, caramel, and just rich sweetness. The XO casks are clearly playing a significant role here. There's also a large amount of brown sugar. Taste: Richly sweet and dark. Toffee, spices, oak, rich brown sugar that's been cooked with butter in a pan. The finish has more flavor as you get that XO character, which I can't quite identify. It's that oak and aged wine/beer-like quality that brings out umami notes. I consider myself a huge fan of XO finishes, but I can't say this is superior to the first batch. It complements the first one well, and while I think the XO casks are a bit too dominant here compared to the sherry casks, that's not ideal. Then again, perhaps these bourbon casks needed to be overshadowed? I can't comment on the original bourbon flavors. I'm giving it a very solid 3.25 and reserving the right to raise it to 3.5. It's a good bourbon with good casks, but at the $200 price point, it's a tough sell. I kind of wish they had found some older casks that were starting to get over-oaked and then used the XO casks to bring them back into balance. edit - raised this to 3.5. It improved significantly after about 45 minutes in the glass, becoming very sweet and a bit more bourbon-forward. Yes, this is really good, but still not exceptional. I'm keeping the option open to reconsider if it develops further.

Consumed neat. Received as a sample. My first impression is that the finish is overpowering the nose. Rum and cognac share equal presence. The rum contributes significant sweetness, with a trace of almond paste. The cognac adds a grape undertone. I detect a lot of powdered sugar, like sugar on fried dough. There's a hint of milk chocolate. The nose is somewhat weaker and even a bit sharper than anticipated. It has a thick, syrupy texture. Initially, I'm getting a strong root beer flavor, extremely sweet. Root beer reappears in the middle of the palate along with a heavy hit of vanilla. The finish is entirely cognac, like a faint, concentrated ice wine. With subsequent sips, more of this milk chocolate emerges at the beginning and again at the end. Hmm. I enjoy this less than I had hoped. I was expecting to be greatly impressed due to my fondness for cognac finishes, rum finishes, and Four Gate. It's delicious root beer, but that's essentially its primary characteristic. I can discern other notes, but I have to concentrate to find them. I'm somewhat relieved to have received a sample. It tastes good, but it's too pricey for a full bottle.

Waxy pineapple aroma. Smells like tropical cleaning fluid and plastic. Mild oak and milk chocolate. The best part is the long finish. Glad I didn't purchase a bottle.

Abundant spice, some coconut notes.