Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2020)

Score: 19/23 I've wanted to try one of these limited releases for ages, but acquiring one seemed impossible. I've rarely seen them at bars, and when I have, the cost was usually extreme. Today is finally the day. Nose: After a short time in the glass, a surprisingly potent minerality emerges. Moving past that, there's rich, smooth wood with cherry notes, though the aromas on the nose are subdued. Maybe a whisper of milk chocolate, leaning more towards bittersweet. The faintest hint of meatiness. It's so subtle, I won't consider it a negative. The dry barrel influence is becoming more apparent. It has a dusty, musty character similar to Four Roses Single Barrel, but with more richness. There's some of that signature sour mash tartness with a touch of yeast, perhaps like sourdough. Overall, the richness makes this nose superior to other Four Roses noses I've experienced, but it's still not an outstanding nose in general. Palate: The proof is evident, and the profile immediately brings Wild Turkey Rare Breed to mind for some reason. There's considerable bold wood maturity, accompanied by rich minerality (if minerality can ever be considered rich). The depth of the wood character is quite pleasant. I detect very little ethanol taste, though some is present. Perhaps a touch of chocolate. A whisper of polished wood, bordering on leather. There's some of that sour mash flavor, but it's less yeasty. It might have a fruity undertone; I think I detect hints of cherry and vanilla, with the sourness possibly being lemon. Plenty of spice is present, led by cinnamon, but also some unexpected white pepper. It can also have a toasty quality. Oh, and a (very) slight smokiness too. Finish: Peppery spice persists with a mild burn. Some aged woodiness remains, along with an occasional hint of chocolate. A touch of polished wood as well. Could there be a hint of mint? - Final Thoughts - Finally, a Four Roses release besides Four Roses Single Barrel that is genuinely enjoyable. When compared side-by-side, Wild Turkey Rare Breed (18-19/23) presents a bolder funkiness and its alcohol content is more noticeable. However, it is richer and fruitier with less minerality. The Wild Turkey also offers a lot of complexity. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel (18?/23) is fruitier and more accessible than this offering. I suspect this one is older (I truly don't recall the components), but it feels like it needed that extra maturation to rival the Russell's. Between the two, I lean towards this one as the winner because of its significant nuance, but that minerality, despite its pleasant richness, is a real drawback. This is quite similar to an even more aged version of Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23) (or Four Roses Single Barrel (15/23), naturally), but it doesn't quite achieve perfection. It reminds me of my past attempts at quick bourbon aging, which resulted in excessive cinnamon and minerality, even with plenty of mature character. Without question, this is the finest Four Roses I've sampled, but as a rare find, it's not mind-blowing. I could rate this an 18, but I'm leaning towards a 19 or perhaps a 20. A 21 seems unlikely. As a reality check, I compared this to Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21/23), and I believe the Jack Daniel's takes the win due to its sheer indulgence. It's not just that; this expression, like many Four Roses, possesses a sophistication that is also somewhat challenging. I appreciate it greatly, but I feel its challenging nature must slightly lower its score. I'd place this in a similar category to Wild Turkey Rare Breed. I favor this one, but not enough to elevate the score to a 20. So, it's a 19. This is a fantastic bottle. At its suggested retail price, it's worth trying. At secondary market prices, I would rather have ten bottles of Wild Turkey Rare Breed. A big thank you to a fellow enthusiast for allowing me to finally satisfy my curiosity about this dram!

It's 2020. It's December. Let's conclude this year with a brand new whiskey (or whisky) daily. It's my personal whiskey advent calendar. +7! Dec. 31, 2020 It's yearly release time! I've completed another December attempting a new whiskey/whisky/rum each day. I truly appreciate my friends who participated and pointed me toward many new things I enjoy. Specifically, Spice Tree, Octomore, and Loch Lomond are three new favorites on my shelf, and I'm almost certain I wouldn't have discovered them on my own. In fact, the Octomore was a special order. So, in addition to making this past month (of a very challenging year) enjoyable, you also altered my perspective on scotch and the appearance of my whiskey collection. While about half of my bourbon advocacy is for fun, I genuinely believed that bourbon had a more diverse flavor range and greater flavor intensity. Leaving the Speyside region disproved the first point, and Octomore completely obliterated the second point without apology. While I still prefer bourbon, I no longer see it as a debate to be won. Scotch has much to offer, so thank you for changing my mind. The nose is saltier than I would expect. It includes pickles, lemon, apple, tea leaves, sugar, caramel, pancake batter, and maple syrup. Fantastic nose. That body. The high rye content is striking initially, but it's growing on me. It brings heavy cane sugar, blood orange, green apple, and caramel. The mouthfeel is very grainy, but it works. Finish has dark chocolate, cinnamon, and pepper. Pepper is more prominent than cinnamon. A nice warmth that fades. I like this whiskey. The last time I tried one of these, my hair was significantly shorter, my family was smaller, and my number of tastings was much fewer. A lot has changed, and I feared I would be disappointed. It's not exactly what I anticipated or recalled, but I truly can't fault it. It's extremely well-crafted. I added an ice cube for my second pour, and this is also phenomenal. Complexity significantly decreases, but the caramel and fruity notes become even more prominent. On the rocks, this strongly resembles Rock Hill Farms or Hancock's. And coming from me, that's one of the highest compliments a bourbon can receive. Everyone have a safe and wonderful New Year's. Goodbye 2020, and cheers to 2021! 'Tis the season. My whiskey selection is day-to-day, so if you're reading this and there's something readily available you'd like me to enjoy/endure this holiday season, leave it in the comments. Merry whiskey to all, and to all a beer flight!

Four Roses limited releases are notoriously difficult to find at retail, and they used to sell out while Blanton’s just sat there gathering dust. Now that Blanton’s is nearly impossible to locate, the chances of finding a Four Roses at the liquor store without paying inflated secondary prices are slim without significant luck or unicorn hunting expertise. This sample is from a very generous individual who clearly knows how to navigate the liquor store better than I do when it comes to unicorn hunting. The nose is exceptionally rich, starting with a welcoming burst of balanced oak and rye spice, followed by butterscotch hard candy, then dark chocolate-covered caramel pecan clusters, then apple pie filling, maraschino cherries, and candied orange peel. This transitions to spearmint, dill, pipe tobacco, leather, and polished mahogany, with a strong ethanol burn. The taste presents a rich, decadent mouthfeel. It begins with a moderate rye spice that fades but remains in the background, layered with butterscotch gelato atop dark chocolate bourbon caramel pecan pie. This is followed by freshly warmed apple pie, tart cherries, and mandarin orange, transitioning to spearmint, dill, pipe tobacco, leather, and polished mahogany, with a high ethanol burn. The finish is long with a moderate rye spice in the background, featuring dark chocolate cherry cordial, slightly burnt pie crust, an apple Jolly Rancher, candied pecans, freshly lit pipe tobacco, leather, and antique polished mahogany furniture. This is an incredibly rich and decadent bourbon that delivers traditional bourbon notes in a bold and powerful experience. However, the high rye spice seems to detract from the overall experience, causing some dryness and spice that, for me, overpower the bold citrus, chocolate, nuts, butterscotch, and polished oak. If you enjoy a rich and spicy bourbon, this will be incredible for you, but for me, the spice throws off the balance.

So I acquired this yesterday for 170 plus I had to make a 1k purchase at the store for the opportunity. Thankfully it's a store I frequent, so I just bought a four gate batch 1 and got this to accompany it. A good outcome? Nose - rich sweetness yet thin? Typical Four Roses well-aged notes, well-aged for 2020, where 10 years is considered aged, not like the 2000s when 15-18 years was typical. The more I explore, the more I detect OLD spirit but burnt and over-charred wood, yet delightful buttery sweetness and brown sugar and baking spices and all those wonderful Four Roses positive notes. The nose is very pleasant and good, but honestly, the wood is aged while the sweetness is young, which is fine for the aroma. Actually, I perceive both young and old here...it's peculiar; part of me, before reading the age statements, thought this didn't contain anything over 15 years, but there's that overly oaked note. Taste - The flavor is that of a nice Four Roses where I get spice and brown sugar, a lot! But the more I explore, the more I find over-oaked notes like an EC18 mixed with rich, rich Four Roses. There's a wonderful sweetness at the start, but it doesn't quite surpass a 14-year-old Sam Houston in terms of apples and cinnamon. So, yes, I consider this a fantastic Four Roses selection or similar. The issue is that this is the $170 limited edition where they blend it with 12+ year old bourbons. This is 12-19 year old bourbon, and my only 'old' note is over-oaked EC18...that's a letdown! I conducted a blind tasting today with this included, along with the 2019 version, a 10-year single cask, and an old Carter batch 5 (I've stated I'm not a fan). Anyway, this ranked third, behind the single barrel at 10 years and 3 months. This is truly excellent but doesn't quite meet their usual standards. I'm torn between a 2.75 and a 3.0. I gave the 2019 a 4.25, so perhaps this is a 3.25. Yes, I'm increasing my initial assessment because the complexity here is remarkable, but folks...one of the barrels is over-oaked, and it doesn't help. They missed the mark slightly, but not entirely, as this is still wonderful stuff that I'd buy two of for $100.

I traded a 1oz sample of this for 1oz of my EHTBP Batch 10. I hadn't opened my 4RSmBLE yet and wanted to see how much I would enjoy this before opening mine. Nose: Charred sugar, candied cherries, alcohol burn, flowery, a bit nutty, this is really sweet and simultaneously like burying your nose in a bunch of blossoms. I feel like I'm out in a field of flowers right now. damn this is amazing. honey. red fruits, like strawberries and maybe something slightly more tart. Palate: holy crap. oh yeah. I'm absolutely keeping my bottle of this. sweet, wood, molasses. certainly some of the rye spice, classic bourbon notes, but there's more complexity that I'm not identifying just yet. It's so well executed with the sweetness of caramel, then the rye spice, then the other flavors I can't quite pinpoint yet. Finish: woody, not overly impressive, nutty, a nice burn, there's some sweetness, but I think the wood is stopping me from truly experiencing it. definitely some leather. 90/100 - Always on my shelf. I don't know if it was the complexity of the palate that kept drawing me back to taste this, or the finish that I am disappointed in, but I drank this faster than I intended. This is really easy to drink and so much fun trying to identify everything that's happening here. I'll definitely try adding some water when I open my bottle, but I'm not doing it with this sample. Could be enjoyable to experiment with later. I'm a four roses fanboy, so I figured I'd like this one, but you're always a little scared of being let down. I think the complexity on this makes it a massive success. I can imagine sharing this with friends who are serious whiskey drinkers and even if they aren't huge fans of the flavors/finish, they'll respect the complexity this dram has. Excited to share this and maybe even add a drop of water.

Nose: butterscotch, cherry, cola, vanilla, polished wood, leather, sweet pipe tobacco, orange, baked apple, lemon, black pepper, dill, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, coffee, musky underarm scent, with a noticeable ethanol sting. Taste: butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, orange zest, clove, lemon, spearmint, leather, tobacco, green bell pepper, dark chocolate, sweet flower notes, rich wood, cherry, brown sugar, with a moderate alcohol kick. The finish is medium long, featuring butterscotch, baking spice, peppery garden vegetable, and wood flavors. This is the third Four Roses Small Batch I've sampled. The regular version was uninspired. The Select was quite nice. I'm anticipating this one will be excellent, or at least that's what the $150 suggested retail and $400+ secondary market prices would suggest. The aroma is rich, fruity, spicy, and intricate. There's a prominent butterscotch scent, supported by citrus, red fruit, and chocolate. It's also quite herbal with some pleasant high-rye pepper, dill, and a note that brings to mind my grandfather's personal scent when I was young. The flavor delivers the fruity sweetness, but there's even more spicy, herbal, minty, vegetal character. The finish lingers pleasingly with spicy, woody notes fading gradually. This is a fantastic bourbon. It meets all the criteria for an aged, high-rye, Kentucky bourbon. Personally, though, I encounter the same drawbacks here as I did with the other Small Batch bottlings. The intense herbal, vegetal qualities diminish my enjoyment, although this is likely a subjective preference issue rather than a flaw in the quality. Many thanks to a friend for providing the generous sample! This is a rare bottle that I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to try.