Old Fourth Avenue Distillery Bottled-In-Bond Review

Welcome to the review for Old Fourth Avenue Distillery Bottled-In-Bond. This is a product that was recommended by one of my favorite co-workers. I have family in Atlanta and they scored me a bottle as a gift. 

I love the concept of bottled-in-bond. As you may know, for something to be designated bottled-in-bond, the bourbon must meet specific criteria. It must:

• Be the product of one distillation season (January–June or July–December by one distiller at one distillery. 
• Been aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years 
• Bottled at 100 (U.S.) proof (50% alcohol by volume). 
• Be produced in the United States

For me, it puts bourbons on equal footing where we can better compare them against each other because everything is equal (proof, age, etc.). It reminds me of the old IROC series in racing where all the drivers got identically-prepared stock cars set up by a single team of mechanics in an effort to make the race purely a test of driver ability.

For this bourbon, it's sourced from MGP in Indiana and then aged in a warehouse in East Atlanta. 

Let's get started with the basics. 

Manufacturer: Old Fourth Avenue Distillery

Age: Four years

Location Produced: MGP in Indiana, aged in East Atlanta

Mash Bill: 75% Corn 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley

Aroma (from manufacturer): None provided

Taste (from manufacturer): None provided

Finish (from manufacturer): None provided

Proof/Alcohol: 100 (50% alcohol by volume)

Who is this for?: Southerners, people looking for a gorgeous bottle to display. Bottled-in-bond fans. 

Cost (Ohio): Not available in Ohio. In Georgia, around $50 + tax

Let's start the review. 

Taste - Score 27 out of 35

On the nose, we picked up sugar, oak, leather,  pecan (McMillian with the last two), and a good bourbon smell. 

On the palette, it was a lot of sugar and syrup with a bit of honey, corn, vanilla, and caramel. When I say a lot of sugar, it was really really sweet when I tasted neat. 

The sweetness was negated when I put it over ice and added a splash of water. This is how I usually drink my bourbon and I really enjoyed Old Fourth this way. 

Smoothness/Finish - Score 20 out of 25

The finish was short & drying on the tongue... similar to a bold red wine. Not too much, but not too little. This was an easy bourbon to drink. 

Intangibles: Color/Appearance - Score 14.5 out of 15.

The bottle is absolutely beautiful and would look great on any shelf. The metallic emblem and trolley etchings offer a timeless look and the color is a rich brown. I wish this was more readily available because this is a bottle I'd want to have on hand at all times and keep one on the display shelf. 

Availability - Score 0 out of 5

Sadly, this product is Georgia exclusive. 

Overall Value - Score 17.5 out of 20

I really enjoyed this bourbon. 

Final Score: 79 out of 100 - Solid

What do you think? Let me know in the comments. It had enough complexity to keep it interesting. The price wasn't crazy ($50-60) and the bottle is gorgeous. My final recommendation is if you're in Georgia, pick up a bottle or two... invite your friends over and enjoy a solid bottled-in-bond bourbon. 

Note: This review was done by Mark with help from The Duchess and Brett McMillionaire. The bottle was given as a gift.