Assessing Andalusia! Four Gate Andalusia Key Rye & Bourbon II Reviews
This review was originally posted in r/bourbon in December 2022
Background
Disclaimer- the value proposition for Four Gate is a bit tough. The American whiskey market is pretty crowded with NDPs (non-distiller producers), and Four Gate offerings are particularly expensive - generally hovering around the $200 price point. Barrell has blends in the $80-$100 range (excluding their ever expanding premium offerings of course), and you also have groups like Lucky Seven releasing knockout 14 year old barrels with regularity. I have consistently heard great things about what Four Gate produces, but it was tough to justify the cost for sourced juice finished in creative ways. Don’t like the finish or the blend? Congrats you just spent $200 for something that will be a chore to drink. My pitch to NDPs - cut a few bottles from your releases and convert them to airplane bottles so we can try before we buy 🙃.
Because that won’t happen any time soon, I settled for the next best thing: Seelbach’s Black Friday Case Discount! Effectively, buy 6 bottles for the price of 3. Split the 6 pack with a fellow enthusiast, and you have a half off sale on Four Gate Releases. This leads me to these two bottles, Andalusia Key II Bourbon and Andalusia Key Rye. Both of these are finished in Spanish Oloroso Sherry-Dark Rum Casks. The base of the former is 7 year old Kentucky bourbon (source unknown), the latter is 7 year 95/5 MGP rye. Somewhat obvious from the title, but the finish for these is what caught my eye!
Four Gate Andalusia Key Rye (7 Years, 115.3 Proof)
Nose: Rum raisin cake, you also definitely get the sherry. Smells like syrupy sherried fruits.
Palate: Black cherry! Massive, candied black cherry, maple syrup, all backed by a wave of rum spices.
Finish: Rum spice is the last to leave, pulls at your palate like sour candies. Lemon peels.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: Deep, syrupy, and rich with that black cherry flavor. Great finish and just a delicious sip. I’ll admit some bias here, a good finished rye is a real weak spot for me. I loved Blackened x Willett, and am a consistent fan of MWND even as the quality has dipped a bit in later years… this met and exceeded my fairly high expectations given the price point and personal preferences.
Four Gate Andalusia Key II Bourbon (7 Years, 116.4 Proof)
Nose: Cherry cordial, brown sugar - it’s a punched up standard bourbon nose.
Palate: Fruit cake, vanilla, orange peels, syrupy and sweet though not cloying so.
Finish: Cherry cola, vanilla, fresh cinnamon. Long with a well balanced amount of spice.
Very Good to Great (6.5/10)
Overall: This is a slower burn from start to finish. Still rich with flavor, sweet through the palate and the spice comes through at the end. A nice sip but the palate doesn't quite blow you back with flavor as much as the rye.
