Four Roses "K&L Exclusive" Single Barrel OBSQ (8 years, 11 months) Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

The latest cask of OBSQ marks one of the last of our Jim Rutledge picks and it's the fruitiest of the bunch. Soft banana and tropical notes coat the entry, dusted with wood shavings and peppery notes. At no point does this whiskey ever feel like its 114.2 proof. It's lithe and light on its feet, finishing with clean flavors of vanilla and oak, never once packing the richness or the power that the alcohol percentage might suggest. It would make a fantastic rocks bourbon or a perfect Manhattan mixer due to its pure whiskey flavor but lack of cloying sweetness or big wood richness. It's a finesse bourbon through and through, but with plenty of fruit and flavor to back it up. Lovely stuff.