Old Fourth Distillery was launched by five friends (two of whom are also brothers) in 2013 with the aid of a Kickstarter campaign. Atlanta’s first legal distillery since 1906, Old Fourth Distillery started distilling in November 2014. Initially releasing vodka and gin, bourbon and whiskey were always part of the plan. But the friends decided to give it time. In February 2019 they decided to go big with a Bottled in Bond bourbon comprised of 75 barrels originally laid down in January 2015. An additional 120 barrels are expected to be released in 2020.

Each bottle is adorned in their ornate design featuring metallic emblems and a handwritten bottle and barrel number. The back of the bottle features an image of an old trolley maintenance barn that used to be located on the same street as the distillery. Looking closely at the back of the bottle reveals a DSP number, DSP-IN-15023, worked into the image above the door of the trolley barn. The number heralds from the transfer in bond paperwork provided by MGP, who Old Fourth contracted to distill this bourbon (though it does not match MGP's DSP number of IN-15016 listed in the TTB database). According to company co-founder and head distiller Jeffrey Moore, Old Fourth created their mash bill and distillation methods in Atlanta beginning in 2012-2013 with a small fractional still made by a company called Ferromit. They later obtained and installed a CARL 450 liter still, but demand for vodka production and plans for larger quantities of whiskey production caused them to search for a contract distiller who could meet their expected demand needs.

The aromas lead with a complex bouquet of honey, dark fruits, raisins, and floral notes. The bourbon has an oily texture, most likely attributed to the fact that it’s simply filtered through a single cotton plate to remove any barrel char fragments. The spice ramps up here, bringing cinnamon and nutmeg into the mix along with a healthy dose of caramel. Transitioning to the finish the spice continues to intensify, and once it dissipates sweet flavors of butterscotch and caramel linger.‍

‍The sample used for this review is from a production bottle and was provided at no cost courtesy of Old Fourth Distillery. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.