The post Four Roses Ten Recipe Tasting Experience appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>Four Roses Ten Recipe Tasting Experience
The Four Roses Ten Recipe Tasting Experience is a box-set release that contains ten 50mL bottles. Each bottle contains Four Roses whiskey that represent one of the ten unique combinations of ingredients often offered by brand. All 10 bourbons included in the experience are non-chill filtered and distilled at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Each one is bottled at 104 Proof (54% ABV).
The Experience also includes a video for a personal tasting guide hosted by Master Distiller Brent Elliott. Elliot guides drinkers through the entire tasting process.
This is a limited release, but you can pre-order it from Nestor Liquor and other online retailers.
Preorder From Nestor Liquor
Four Roses Recipes
Each Four Roses recipe is a combination of a specific mash bill and yeast strain, which in each create distinct tasting experiences. The 10 main recipes from Four Roses are all included in the tasting experience kit. The recipes included are:
- OBSV
- OBSK
- OBSO
- OBSQ
- OBSF
- OESV
- OESK
- OESO
- OESQ
- OESF
How Do You Read A Four Roses Recipe
The Four Roses recipe label is actually pretty straight forward. Each recipe title contains four letters. All ten recipes follow a simple pattern of O_S_. The O indicates that the whiskey was distilled by Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and the S tells you that it’s a Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The second letter in the recipe identifies the mash bills, and the fourth letter identifies the yeast strain that was used.
Four Roses Mash Bills
Four Roses Mash Bill “B”: 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley
Four Roses Mash Bill “E”: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley
Obviously the big difference here is the ratio of corn to rye. Bourbon is, by definition, 51%+ corn. Mash bills with higher rye content might be a little “spicier”, while high corn percents are typically sweeter.
Four Roses Yeast Strains
K: baking spices
Q: floral character
O: richer fruit
F: herbal, minty
V: delicate fruit, think spiced pear
You can see how these combinations would create unique tastes in the Four Roses bourbons, and tasting them side-by-side will be a great experience for any level of bourbon drinker.
Is The Four Roses 10 Recipe Tasting Experience Available in North Carolina?
This tasting kit should start hitting shelves and retailers in early August, 2023. It’s a limited release, so you;ll want to purchase it if you see it (it may be your only chance). As for the kit’s availability in North Carolina, that remains to be seen. I’m keeping a keen eye on the NC ABC Warehouse Stock Status, and will update this page if I see anything. It will certainly be sold at select premium spirit retailers. Hopefully we’ll get an allocation to the state! If you don’t want to risk missing out, we’ve seen it available for preorder on Nestor Liquor, close to MSRP (plus shipping).
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]]>The post 2023 NC ABC Allocated Bourbon Lotteries appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>Given the influx of traffic here, I know people are interested in the schedule of allocated bourbon lotteries for 2023. Unfortunately, no such “official” schedule exists. Each local county/ABC board handles the distribution of allocated products as they best see fit for their stores, community, and customers. While some of these boards elect to use a lottery system to distribute these products, others use preferred customer lists, and some offer them on the shelf for a first-come, first-serve basis. Sometimes a board will make a big announcement for a release, and there will be a…. party… in the parking lot.
Durham ABC Lottery Is Wrapping Up
Durham ABC has been running their lottery, and announced that they’d finish making calls to winners the week of January 9th.
Wake County ABC Lottery
Wake County has finally opened their entries for their lottery for 2023 releases (despite it being early 2024 already. Entry is open until Valentine’s day, and winners will be announced no later than February 19th. The Wake County ABC Bourbon Lottery is open to Wake County residents only. For more information and regular updates, visit the Wake County ABC website or follow their socials on Facebook.
Entrants will be able to select their priority order of available bourbons offered in the lottery. Here’s the full list:
| PAPPY VAN WINKLE 23Y | $399.95 |
| OLD FORESTER BIRTHDAY BOURBON | $169.95 |
| VAN WINKLE FAMILY RES RYE 13Y | $169.95 |
| PAPPY VAN WINKLE 15YR | $169.95 |
| MAKER’S MARK CELLAR AGED | $149.95 |
| BLANTON’S STRAIGHT FROM THE BARREL | $149.95 |
| WOODFORD RESERVE MASTER COLLECTION | $149.95 |
| OLD FITZGERALD BIB 10Y | $139.95 |
| THOMAS H. HANDY | $124.95 |
| WILLIAM LARUE WELLER | $124.95 |
| GEORGE T. STAGG | $124.95 |
| BLANTON’S GOLD | $119.95 |
| BLANTON’S GOLD BOURBON | $119.95 |
| VAN WINKLE SPL RESERVE 12YR | $109.95 |
| OLD RIP VAN WINKLE 10Y | $99.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. SINGLE BARREL BOURBON | $79.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. BARREL PROOF BOURBON | $77.95 |
| BLANTON’S SINGLE BARREL | $69.95 |
| BLANTON’S SINGLE BARREL SELECT (BTB) | $64.95 |
| WELLER FULL PROOF | $55.95 |
| WELLER CYPB | $55.95 |
| WELLER ANTIQUE 107 | $55.95 |
| STAGG JR (BTB) | $54.95 |
| STAGG BOURBON | $54.95 |
| WELLER SINGLE BARREL | $53.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. SMALL BATCH | $49.95 |
| 1792 FULL PROOF | $47.95 |
| WELLER 12Y | $47.95 |
| ELMER T. LEE SINGLE BARREL | $44.95 |
| WELLER SPECIAL RESERVE | $33.95 |
| BUFFALO TRACE SINGLE BARREL SELECT (BTB) | $32.95 |
| BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON WHISKEY | $32.95 |
Again, www.nc-whiskey.com is not affiliated with the North Carolina ABC or Wake County board.
Sign up for our mailing list for more updates.
NC ABC Bourbon Lottery FAQ
Who can enter North Carolina ABC whiskey lotteries?
As for the lotteries, some of these may be offered to county/local residents only (this is how Wake County has handled the process in recent years), while others are open to anyone and everyone. Of course, all entrants to lotteries must be over the age of 21. Most lotteries will be open for one entry per person, though some may limit to one per household. Again, this is all handled at the local level, not by the state.
How do I enter an ABC bourbon lottery?
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, entry methods are also handled, of course, by the local ABC board or individual stores. In past years, many counties like Wake, Durham, and Mecklenburg offer an online entry form. Others, like Gibsonville, require an in-person entry. Other lotteries work on a same-day event, where you must come be present, get a number, and hope yours gets called. If you’re curious how to enter lotteries with your local ABC board, ask employees at a local shop.
When is the next allocated bourbon lottery?
Typically, the “big” lotteries happen closer to the holiday season. Many of the major allocated releases like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and Van Winkle releases come out in the mid to late fall, so ABC boards wait for their full allocation to come in before hosting their lottery.
Sometimes, however, boards may do more periodic lotteries. They may not be as chock-full of the ultra-rarities, but they might contain Stagg, Weller, Old Fitzgerald, or other similar-tier products. Again, check with your local ABC store to see how they handle the distribution of these products, and when they might be hosting a lottery. Some ABC boards will have email lists of their own.
If I get wind of new lotteries around the state, I’ll try to keep a running list of them here on this page. Bookmark this page, or sign up for my email list and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear something.
Usually we get information about the following ABC lotteries, but if you hear of something missing, please share!
- 2023 Wake County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Durham County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Orange County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Cumberland County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Greensboro ABC Lottery
- 2023 Pitt County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Mecklenburg ABC County
- 2023 Rowan/Kannapolis ABC Lottery
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]]>The post Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage 2023 appeared first on NC Whiskey.
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Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 2023: Voyage
According to the labels, Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage is going to be the familiar Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, this time finished in Jamaican Pot Still Rum Casks (2023’s Unforgotten was finished in rye). Distilled with the rest of Wild Turkey bourbon in Lawrenceburg, KY, this special release will also be non-chill-filtered (NCF) and bottled at 106 Proof (53% ABV). The tasting notes on the label tease a Master’s Keep with spice, tropical dried fruit, caramel, chocolate, and aged oak.
Will Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage Be Available in NC?
This annual release is always heavily allocated, but Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage will definitely make its way to North Carolina ABC stores sometime, likely the fall, of 2023. How each local ABC board chooses to distribute said release is always a big question. We’ll update out NC ABC Stock page as soon as it hits the state warehouse.
As of now, there’s no official announcement on price or MSRP, but previously Master’s Keep releases have retailed around $225 in North Carolina.
Be sure to sign up for our Mailing List to stay up to date on release details.
Buy Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Online
If you can find something like this through an online retailer, it’s likely to come with a steep price markup. Keep an eye out on retailers like Nestor Liquors or Reserve Bar, you never know what you may find!
Other Whiskey You Might Like
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