91
Score
Four Gate Split Stave by Kelvin Cask-Finished Bourbon, 57.8%
Price: $175 ● Issue: Spring 2020 ● Reviewer: Susannah Skiver Barton
A straight bourbon that was finished in barrels made with alternating charred and toasted staves. There's plenty of wood char and pencil shavings on the nose, along with dry leaves, pine needles, tea leaves, orange peel, clove, nutmeg, cedar, sandalwood, menthol, and licorice. It's chewy and, naturally, quite oak-forward in the mouth, with complex flavors of spice, dark cherry, black tea, and herbs—mint, licorice, sassafras, and cinnamon. More spice, semi-sweet chocolate, tea leaves, and well-integrated oak into the finish. (2,700 bottles)
