KOVAL Four Grain Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

KOVAL Four Grain Whiskey
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

KOVAL Four Grain Single Barrel Whiskey has no lead grain (i.e. no grain at 51% or higher in the mash bill). In fact, we don’t know what the exact grain recipe is, except to say it’s malted barley, oats, rye and wheat. Like everything KOVAL does, it’s a single barrel, bottled at 94 proof and aged in 30-gallon barrels.

The Whiskey
Once in the glass, the whiskey’s coloring straddles the line between gold and copper. Swishing and coating the glass prompted a few thick tears.

The nose was quite rich, surprisingly so in fact. If I had to guess, I would attribute the weight of the scent to the oats and the barley. It’s sweet with berries and molasses, spiced up with cinnamon. The flavor profile, however, is quite different from that. It’s still rich and full-bodied, but more like a caramel candy seasoned with cake spices. The berries are gone, and the molasses clings on as a mere trace note. The finish is crisply spicy, but fades fast.

The Price
Checking with online retailers shows this item floating between $50 and $60 per bottle.