Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey Review

Rolling Standard Midwestern Four Grain Whiskey
Blend of Wheated Bourbon and American Single Malt Whiskeys
Union Horse Distilling Co
92 Proof
MSRP: $33
Review

Please enjoy our Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey Review!

Union Horse Distilling Co is a family owned “grain to glass” distillery founded in 2010 in Lenexa (Kansas City), Kansas.

Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Is A Marrying Of Two Different Whiskey Styles

According to the Union Horse Website, Rolling Standard Four Grain is “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.”

Mash Bill – Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey

Effective Mash Bill: 45% corn, 20% wheat, 20% malted barley, 15% rye
Age: Aged in both new and old Missouri oak barrels. The majority of the whiskey is almost 5 years old, with a small percentage of ~3 1/2 year old single malt that is aged in 25 gallon barrels. Very soon (as of September 2023), the entire blend will be 5 years old, with all the whiskey aged in 53 gallon barrels. (Note: As of this date of this review, the Union Horse website says that the age of Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey is at least 18 months; that is outdated information)

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

? Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

??Nose: Malted barley graininess with dark cherry, red delicious apples and some raspberry jam, as well; brown sugar and lightly burnt caramel; subtle wintergreen; light leather; moderate alcohol
??Taste: Malted barley graininess, but moderately sweet with light caramel and brown sugar
??Finish: Fairly soft, but with a growing and lingering black pepper spice, light char, tannins and dry oak. Dark cherries remain in the background. While mild and quite dry, the finish lasts for a long time. Mild burn.

Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey has noticeable graininess throughout, but less so than the Union Horse Rivalist American Single Malt. That is to be expected since there is less malted barley in the Rolling Standard. However, the malted barley flavors are still fairly dominant. Fruit and jam are present, but are comparatively mild. Later on, light caramel and brown sugar become more noticeable in the taste. Interestingly, the finish becomes quite dry, with some expected tannins from the toasted malted barley, as well as some mild white pepper spice. It’s a fairly soft finish, but it lasts for a surprisingly long time.

Summary

Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey has the perfect balance for the bourbon drinker who likes single malts, but who doesn’t want all that much malt. However, having said that, there is a noticeable malted barley graininess to this whiskey. Nonetheless, Rolling Standard Four Grain is easy to sip, and is overall quite enjoyable. If you like American Single Malts, but would prefer that they were a bit less malted barley forward, then give Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey a try!

We hope you have enjoyed our Union Horse Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey review! Would you like to read about another four grain whiskey? Then check out our Jeptha Creed Four Grain Bourbon Review!

Thank you to Nancy at Union Horse Distilling for graciously providing this whiskey for my review!

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