When someone introduces a new whiskey company put together with ‘special barrel selects’ from an unknown distillery you never know if they are a one hit wonder or a company that will be around for the long haul. Four Gate Whiskey Company launched their first sourced product to much acclaim just over a year ago. Rather than resting on their laurels the startup whiskey blender has just released batch No. 8. And, rather than sticking to a tried and true formula with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey they’ve traveled south to bottle their first Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
In late 2019 and early 2020, Four Gate Whiskey Company released two unfinished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey batches, dubbed “Foundation.” Due to the extremely limited amount of whiskey available, only a handful of those bottles made it to Tennessee – or outside of Kentucky at all. To make up for that, the company is releasing a micro-batch made from five barrels of Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The batch is called “Tennessee Foundation.”
‘Tennessee Foundation’ Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Co-owners Bill Straub and Bob D’Antoni selected the five barrels of 10-year-old Tennessee Straight Bourbon with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. It was bottled without chill filtering, as are all of Four Gate’s batches, and at barrel strength of 112.2 proof.
These tasting notes were provided by Straub the companies Chief Blending Officer.
Appearance: Dark amber, rich mahogany
Nose: Macadamia nuts, chocolate, coffee and rich leather.
Taste: Peanuts, oak, hints of cinnamon, and earthy tobacco.
Finish: Medium, the nutty and earthy characteristics linger to a pleasant close.
“I’m really pleased with the results,” said Straub. “I don’t think we could possibly present this whiskey any better than we have with this blend.”
“We knew when we released batch 5 (Foundation) that there were so few bottles, our customers in Tennessee would likely miss out,” said Chief Barrel Officer D’Antoni. “Our distributor in Tennessee asked us if we could do something else for markets outside of Kentucky, so we answered the call.”
The Founders summarize their barrel picks like this, “If you start with the best whiskey, and leverage some of the best-regarded experts in the field on the effects of barrels, you wind up with an amazing whiskey that both connoisseurs and collectors alike will appreciate.”
Four Gate Whiskey’s 10 Year Old ‘Tennessee Foundation’ Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at cask strength of 112.2 proof (56.1 ABV). The five barrels netted out 812 bottles that are available now in Kentucky, Tennessee, and online through Seelbachs with a suggested retail price of $149.99.
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Four Gate Whiskey – Tennessee Foundation 10 Year Old Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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