Review: Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon

Tasting Notes: Light aroma that isn’t really “in your face” that almost brings a bit of anise to your nose; not as sweet of an aroma as some other bourbons in this price range. Striking bright fresh oak with a mild heat “burn” from start to finish. Weak mid-palate flavor profile; starts with a bit of a citrus play into an oak finish.

Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon is a generally well designed bourbon without a ton of unique character. I’m going to put it out on the line right now: this is a safety bourbon. If you find Tennessee Whiskey aka Jack Daniels a bit too abrasive yet Maker’s Mark is a bit too sweet or oaky you’ll find Four Roses Yellow Label falling between the two “extremes” in something very palatable for an introductory bourbon.

When I sit down to enjoy a bourbon, personally, I like a front facing oak blast to my face… that’s just how I roll. Yellow Label hints at a striking oak but the mid-palate is a bit hollow to me and that leaves me yearning for some other flavorful attack to the taste buds. Yellow Label is much more of a light bodied profile with some vanilla and oak but I tend to like something with a bit more body to it but that’s okay as the price range is fitting: $15-25 for a bottle online! This is a cost effective little batch of bourbon that doesn’t impress me too much but does make me feel like a worthy buy compared to some of the other more marketed bourbons in the $15 range.

I probably would be more impressed with Four Roses Yellow Label if I didn’t have a chance to try their Single Barrel offering; the single barrel blew me away.

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1 Comment

  • Reply
    teckdeck2008
    April 29, 2012 at 11:28 pm

    Qotd: When buying Scotch I tend to go middle of the road and with a bit more age but not anything outrageous because I am poor. With bourbon, age isn’t as much of a factor but rather something that is traditionally well blended.

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