ABV: 57.8%
MSRP: $199
Availability: 3,876 bottles; available in 11 states and at select online retailers.

Kentucky-based blending house Four Gate has released Kelvin Collaboration VI, a blend of three 9-year-old Kentucky bourbons made with different mashbills. The blend was first finished in Madeira casks before undergoing a second finish in casks that previously held dark rum from the Florida Keys. The casks were sourced with help from Kelvin Cooperage.

Four Gate released its first whisky back in 2019. The founders had sourced more than 100 barrels of 9–11-year-old whiskey and blended 14 of the oldest ones. The final blend was finished in sherry casks that were used for aging rum and were selected by neighboring Kelvin Cooperage. That expression, dubbed The Kelvin Collaboration, became the first in a line of annual releases.

Four Gate has a track record of achieving high scores, but the Kelvin Collaboration series is in a realm of its own. Thus far, none of them have scored below 93. Much of their acclaim comes from a masterful utilization of layered cask finishes—each bottling features either a dual cask finish or a single finish in casks that have held two different wines/spirits. All of them utilize a rum cask at some point, but VI is the first time we’ve seen Madeira casks added to the mix.

https://whiskyadvocate.com/New-releases-April-23