Rolling Standard Midwestern Four-Grain Whiskey Review

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Union Horse Distilling
• MASH BILL: 4-Grain (Corn, Wheat, Rye, Malted Barley)
• AGE: Each of the whiskies used are 5 y/o and then upon blending they’re aged another 18 months in the barrels they originated from to properly marry the flavors together.
• YEAR: 2018
• PROOF: 92 Proof (46% ABV)
• MSRP: $40.00
• BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

JEFF'S NOTES

NOSE: Molasses | Oak | Honeysuckle | Vanilla

TASTE: Sweet Corn | Maple | Nuts | Stone-Fruit

FINISH: A medium-length finish that alternates between vanilla and dry oak and rye spice.

SHARE WITH: Folks who can appreciate an unusual whiskey and treat it as an adventure.

WORTH THE PRICE: $40 for a 750ml isn’t a barrier for most folks. Rolling Standard isn’t your
average, run-of-the-mill American whiskey and, despite the grain content, is an atypical four-grain.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: I had an enjoyable experience with my sample and wish I had more to
explore again. This isn’t a whiskey for beginners, but it gets a Bottle rating from me.

OVERALL: Rolling Standard Midwestern Four-Grain Whiskey is a very interesting approach to creating a four-grain. Instead of using all four grains together in the same mash, Union Horse Distilling distilled a wheated Bourbon and distilled an American Single Malt, aged both for five years, and then blended them together. After the blending process, the whiskey is then returned to those barrels another 18 months together before being blended again as a small batch. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92°.

My first thought was this was just a fancy marketing gimmick. But, after asking more in-depth questions, it went from that first thought to my being impressed by the ingenuity of the whole process. The big question, of course, is how does it taste? Time to #DrinkCurious and find out.

In my Bourbon & Banter branded Glencairn glass, the appearance is a golden-amber. It left a thin rim that produced slow, thick legs that dropped back into the pool, suggesting a fuller-
bodied whiskey.

The first aromas were big on molasses and oak. As I lifted the glass closer to my nostrils, honeysuckle came out, and just under my nose was pure vanilla. Inhaling through my lips brought a flavor of thick maple syrup.

The thicker mouthfeel coated my palate, which was immediately met with a mix of sweet corn and maple. Underneath that was a nutty flavor that dissipated and led to a gentle stone-fruit quality. All of that ended with an interesting, medium-length finish of vanilla and dry oak mingled with spice that was slightly warming.

Honestly, I believe it takes a slightly sophisticated palate to appreciate the nuances of everything going on with Rolling Standard, especially the finish. This didn’t fit the mold of a typical four-grain, likely due to Union Horse’s creative approach. The need for that more experienced palate would normally steer this into the Bar recommendation, but as there was nothing that could be considered “offensive” to newer whiskey fans, I changed lanes and it earns my Bottle recommendation, especially considering the reasonable barrier of entry.

Cheers!

BRAND NOTES

A complex whiskey of barley, wheat, corn and rye, aged no less than 18 months in both new and used Missouri oak barrels. Born through distiller experimentation, Rolling Standard is our expansion into something new. A marrying of two different styles of whiskey, a wheated bourbon and American single malt.

92 PROOF

Non-chill filtered | Each bottle is hand numbered showing our constant commitment to the artisan tradition.

TASTING NOTES

Robust notes of vanilla, maple, almond and dark fruit with hint of spice.

BOTTLE ICON

From the stockyards of KC, to running the rails beside our distillery, each freight train’s journey represents a new beginning.

Disclaimer: Union Horse Distilling provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.