Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2015)

Nose: The nose starts with a perfect blend of clear rye and oak spices, followed by red cherry and dark chocolate. The spices give way to a back-and-forth between confectionary and fruit sweetness. It brings to mind toffee-covered cinnamon rolls with orange icing, crushed nuts, candied apple, and some pear. Christmas spices come alive with banana salt water taffy, maybe some banana bread, more red cherries and strawberries, and sweet brown cereal like honeyed bran. Grape juice, sugar cookies, and vanilla graham crackers finish it off, leaving a memory of sugar crystals and hints of peanut butter. Palate: A gorgeous spice bomb from the start, like a silent, slow-motion nuclear explosion from a distance. It's astounding. As soon as this dram touches your tongue, black cracked pepper and rye spices erupt. Clouds of menthol and cocoa dust fill your palate halfway through, surprisingly without dryness. Quick confectionary sugars, more toasted oak from the nose, and some sweet cherry appear. You can tell this FR expression has some age in certain batches – sweet woody spices, cinnamon spice, and cinnamon sugar now. Toffee and pure sugary goodness, all in balance. Quite exquisite. Finish: This is a slow-dissipating, long finish, as expected at cask strength. Toffee from the back palate lingers with brown sugars. The spice that rose is perfectly mirrored as it fades, a long dissipation that clearly reminds you of the experience, like a bell curve. Black licorice, charred barrel, and an older rye character best describe these final notes. Some menthol and light oak tannins play off this overall toasty finish. Rating: 97

My second experience with Bourbon. It is considerably superior to Jim Beam white label. Now that I've stated that, I can say it's a decent pour, nothing extraordinary. Perhaps a bit complex, rating a solid 3.5 out of 5. Bottled at 45% ABV, with a polished mahogany hue. The nose reveals citrus fruit notes, such as grapes, plums, prunes, and lemon. There's an unusual pungent note I can't identify; I've seen it described as 'glue' by others, but I'm unsure. Occasionally, it evokes memories of the standard Jack Daniels Old No. 7, sharing a similar aromatic profile, with hints of toffee and vanilla upon further nosing. The palate is dynamic, starting sweet like caramel, then immediately becoming hot and spicy, with oak and orange notes leading to a slightly bitter finish that is medium in length. It has a light to medium body, and adding two drops of water makes it almost chewable with a single candy-like note on the palate. I suspect I'm not yet an expert bourbon drinker, but I still find these inferior to scotch single malts. I also have an Elijah Craig Small Batch, a Blanton's single barrel, and a Maker's Mark 46 waiting to be opened; perhaps I'll have better luck with those. Another observation: I haven't mixed it with Coca-Cola, but it seems like it would pair well. I may try that in the future.

Nose - The aroma is like sautéed vanilla bean in fine butter, with fresh juicy strawberries, plump bing cherries, and a small slice of banana drizzled over vanilla ice cream and garnished with lavender. Taste - Similar to the nose, you're immediately met with a sweet buttery fruit, strawberries, juicy cherries, and a mild cinnamon burn. There's a subtle oak presence, subdued considering the age of some bourbons in this small batch. It genuinely tastes like a high-rye bourbon (which these are) that has been gently mellowed in ex-berry wine casks for a short period. Finish - The light, floral, and berry fruit transitions into a slightly dry, oaky, pleasant cinnamon spice where the classic bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, and toffee finally emerge. 88/100

The aroma of this is subtle and overwhelmed by a strong alcohol presence. You must be patient and sift through the ethanol vapors to discover what's there, and there isn't much: dry oak, corn syrup, red apple skins, and rye grist. All in very small quantities. The taste is more forthcoming. Rich sweetness and amplified fruit flavors from the alcohol. The finish lingers on your tongue, stimulating saliva with generous spices and dry tannins. Adding water doesn't significantly improve the aroma but creates a more luscious mid-palate. The sweetness resembles peach juice and honey more closely. The texture becomes silkier before the tannins return at the end. This expression of Four Roses is certainly on the sweeter side. I'm glad I tried it, but it's not a bottle I would actively seek out.

Nose- Cinnamon, herbal- mint, ripe cherries, wood spice, rye spice Palate- Wave of green tea initially, wet oak, cherry-cola, cloves, dark honey Finish- Long, creamy finish with flavors of fresh mint, cherries and bold, wet oak Overall, this is very good. The nose is somewhat muted, but fresh mint and rye spice are prominent. The palate is where this excels, featuring a distinctive green tea note and lovely, bold wet oak from beginning to end. An enjoyable, long, and mouth-coating finish that maintains excellent balance.

Blew me away! That's all I can say lol. Sweet aroma with hints of red berries. Consistently fruity flavor, with ripe apple and red berries on the palate. A medium to long finish.