Tangoed... Four Roses Single Barrel

I have long been searching for orange things from the United States of America aside from Sunny Delight, the Hoff's face and the OC. It has taken me many years and now I have found it. The orange zest notes I get from rye whiskey are the way forward. As I have previously mentioned I struggle with American whiskey. Not because I think it is anyway bad but purely because the flavour disagrees with me in quantities larger than half a glass. So when I discovered rye whiskey I was very pleased indeed. Rye whiskey has a flavour I enjoy very much and I have our cross-Atlantic cousins to thank. In my quest to try more and more of these whiskies I have had to rely on samples kindly donated to me from fellow whisky fans. There was one whiskey that I was very curious to try and that was the Four Roses, then last Saturday the whiskey presented itself to me in a small sample bottle, and here are my thoughts:

Four Roses Single Barrel
50% - No Age Statement - Kentucky Bourbon
Nose: A tango of satsuma and tangerine, orange zest and those classic rye notes coming through.
Palate: Cumin, fresh squeezed orange juice, nice and creamy.
Finish: Orange cream liqueur, sweet and light.
Overall: A fantastic rye whiskey showing me the way forward, now to get my hands on some more Four Roses bottlings!

A Rye Smile - Sazerac Rye

American and Irish whiskey have always been a struggle for me. Initially out of an ill-informed prejudice born out of an ignorance of the Redbreasts and Van Winkle's out there and too much focus on the Jameson's and Jack Daniels of the world. Both Jameson's and Jack Daniels almost ruined whiskey for me. However the second problem I face is that however much I may appreciate the whiskey, I find the flavour of both Irish and American to be too sickly for me and even half a glass makes my stomach tighten. So for me American and Irish whiskey will always have to be a rare pleasure enjoyed in moderation, but this is not to say I will give up on them. Today's review is of the charming Sazerac Rye whiskey. This, like the Redbreast 12 year old, made me rethink whiskey and I would go as far to say that I could happily manage two thirds of a glass of this fine rye whiskey.

Sazerac Rye
45% - No Age Statement
Nose: Old fashioned English marmalade dominates the nose with marzipan and barley sugar playing the underscore.
Palate: Plenty of citrus fruits, in particular satsuma, with a gentle almond quality.
Finish: Very dry with notes of herbal remedies.
Overall: A lively, vibrant and spicy rye whiskey that will put a smile on your face!