Today’s bourbon review, Four Gate Whiskey Batch 4 – (Split Stave By Kelvin), utilizes a completely unique barrel in its process. Comprised of #2 char, #4 char, and medium toast staves, these barrels are unlike anything else on the market. They have a lot of potential and I’d love to see more companies using this kind of zebra cask to coax new and interesting flavors out of their whiskeys.
I’ve tried batch one (Kelvin Collaboration) and batch two (Outer Loop Orbit) but wasn’t fortunate enough to try batch 3. I guess they didn’t like my response to the Outer Orbit ;) Though it might also be because batch 3 only had 748 bottles. Either way, it’s really interesting to see what these guys are up to. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re doing interesting things.
Four Gate Whiskey Batch 4 Review (Split Stave By Kelvin): Details and Tasting Notes
“After crafting a series of medium toast casks, then a series of #2 char casks, and finally a third series of #4 char casks, William Hornaday and his team at Kelvin broke all the barrels apart and rebuilt them, alternating between toasted staves and #2 char staves on some barrels, and toasted and #4 char staves on others, they have created the first ever “Split Stave™” barrels.”
Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Undisclosed (likely Heaven Hill and Old Forester)
Mash Bill: 5.5 Year = 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley. | 12 Year = 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak and Split Stave cask (5 months)
Age: 5.5 years (mix of 5.5 & 12 year bourbons)
ABV: 57.8%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Batch: 4
Bottles: 2,700
Price: $175*
Tasting Notes
EYE
Cherry wood
NOSE
Oak, dried dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, grilled apples, baking spice and copper.
PALATE
Oak, dried dark fruit, cocoa, butterscotch, buttery toffee, touches of roasted grains, nuts and vanilla.
FINISH
Long -> Oak, toffee, cinnamon, dark fruit and Grapenuts.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good sense of balance, rich full body and an oily heavy feel.
Four Gate Whiskey Batch 4 Review (Split Stave By Kelvin): Overall and Score
Best release by them I’ve had yet. Aroma is a wonderful amped-up version of a classic bourbon with deeper complexities of everything coming through; Palate has plenty of oak to go around and I love what’s going on in here with the heavy dark sweets, dark fruit and rustic oak, spice and grain notes coming through; Finish goes on and on and ends with roasted grain with a bit a sweetness that kinda reminds me of Grapenuts cereal.
So good… so good. Four Gate Whiskey Batch 4 – (Split Stave By Kelvin) carries a deep heavy complex profile that’s tasty and rich yet restrained and balanced. It’s not a wild whiskey but rather heavy and elegant. Water opens up some biscuity, cocoa powder and peanut notes on the Nose. On the Palate it opens up to more dark fruit and introduces some leather, citrus, nuts and hints of baked apples.
SCORE: 4.5/5
*Disclosure: The sample for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Four Gate Whiskey Batch 4 - (Split Stave By Kelvin) $175
Overall
4.5- Nose (4.5)
- Palate (4.5)
- Finish (4.5)
- BBF (4.5)
User Review
0 (0 votes) Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)Four Gate Whiskey Batch 4 Review - (Split Stave By Kelvin) Summary
Wow, this is good. Surprisingly complex and nuanced with heavy layers of classic sweet and rustic bourbon notes. It also changed dramatically sip to sip and sniff to sniff if you slowly add water and search for that sweet spot of dilution where it’s fully expressed for your senses. I’m all about this one.
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