Four Roses Single Barrel

gift sample (#78-3A), 16 years old

Nose: Great, classy, and showing good age. Creamy rye and mint dominate, and just in perfectly balanced quantities. Fine sandalwood and slightly dry maple (wood). Coconut and slight alcohol. Toast, honey, and oatmeal hide in the background. Water brings out a bit more of the wood and softens the other aromas, but it's all pretty much there. Maybe a touch more grainy/oatmealy.

Palate: Rather vivid, surprisingly, for 54.7%. Honey and light and creamy at first. Mint and something a bit like bubblegum. Rye grain and a really good dose of soft, bitter wood. It's all in check and good stuff.

Finish: Mint, oatmeal, maple syrup, and lots of lingering wood. Really doesn't need water, which just brought out more wood on the finish. Comes to a very fine point at the end. B+

I swear that, at points, this thing seemed absolutely 'wheat'ish. Maybe because it was light and more on honey/coconut/caramel at times.

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