Four Gate Whiskey Company Unveils Sherry/Rum Cask Finished Bourbon

Four Gate, which was founded in 2018, looks to be positioning itself as a premium curator and blender rather than a distillery; in a prepared statement, the company announced it will release two to three batches of similarly sourced and blended whiskeys finished in unique barrels. When I say “premium,” I mean it—there’s no information on where this bourbon originated, but it comes with an eye-popping suggested retail price of $199.

The brand’s founders, Bill Straub and Bob D’Antony, collaborated with Kelvin Cooperage, a well known barrel maker, to source the finishing casks. The barrels they selected began life holding Spanish sherry, before being used for a batch of Caribbean rum, imparting fruity and syrupy notes to the final product.

“Having Kelvin involved is huge for us,” said D’Antoni. “No one knows more about how a barrel ultimately impacts a spirit than the people who have been making those barrels for all kinds of spirits for half a century. Their access to existing barrels and their ability to craft totally unique casks is really something we want to display.”

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This bourbon is bottled at 123.4 proof, although it’s not explicitly stated whether that’s barrel proof or not.

Four Gate’s tasting notes for this expression are as follows:

Nose: The finish barrels are front and center with a huge waft of maple syrup. Behind that, there is a spicy cinnamon, some vanilla and caramel, with a sweet red fruit undertone.

Taste: Oloroso Sherry hits the front palate with a burst of sweet fortified wine and simple syrup. The mid palate gets traditional high-rye bourbon notes of vanilla, black pepper, and oak, while the rear palate gets a molasses and brown sugar sweetness from the rum finish.

Finish: Medium-to-long, there are prevalent barrel tannins and rye spices that linger on the tongue while a boozy rum finish coats the inside of the mouth.