Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2016)

Before getting to Room 901, a relatively new whiskey bar in St. Petersburg (Florida), I hadn't found a bar that carries Four Roses' annual, coveted Limited Edition Small Batch. Happily, it was worth the wait and worth the search. This bourbon's signature characteristic is balance. It's not an extreme, hair-raising powerhouse, nor is it a light, simple pour. It has complexity, but it's not challenging and strange in its flavor profile. The nose introduces itself with peanut brittle before transitioning to a more classic profile of caramel, oak, and ripe pear. The palate proceeds differently, with citrus notes of orange and grapefruit, oak, burnt brown sugar, and maple syrup. It has a great, mouth-coating sensation. This limited edition concludes with a long, warming finish with nutty and oaky characteristics. In quality, it's not necessarily head and shoulders above the better Four Roses Private Selections that one can find around the country, but it's a matter of risk. If you purchase one of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch versions, which are both expensive and rare (MSRP is $130 a bottle, and many liquor stores will slap a big markup on that price), you're getting the distillery's wisdom and a uniform flavor profile. If you opt for a store or bar pick, you're relying on one person's judgment, and hoping that your tastes are aligned. It's a tradeoff. Sometimes, Private Selections turn out to be spectacular bourbons that are better than any limited release from the distillery, which understandably is aiming at a more universally pleasing but less distinctive character, while, other times, you'll wind up with something that's just not for you. Don't hesitate to try this one if you're lucky enough to find it.

The final bonus dram of round 5. 25 reviews in less than 2 months is challenging, but also a fun journey. This time it’s a bourbon rather than a scotch and it’s from a distillery I really like, Four Roses. This 2016 release of their Limited Edition Small Batch is bottled at 55.6% ABV, what I can only assume is batch strength, natural color of a rusty orange and most likely non chill filtered. I was surprised to find mint as the first note I picked up on the nose. It’s very floral for a bourbon, honeysuckle and lavender. Orange rind with a light cinnamon. Then just like that the cinnamon becomes stronger with some toffee, caramel and mocha. A little bubblegum in there as well. Dry grass, brown sugar and some green grapes oddly enough. Not exactly what I was expecting, but very nice nonetheless A nice gentle oak greets the palate along with some barrel char. Again it’s quite floral. Some apples and oranges and even grapefruit. Toffee, some light butterscotch, cinnamon and clove. Not nearly as complex as I would have liked, but still very good and quite easy to drink neat. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is dry. It is not so much mouth coating as it is tongue coating. A long finish with oak, lavender and orange pith. Quite dry. Much milder than I was expecting. The single barrel is much more intense at a lower 50% ABV. I can’t get over just how floral it was. A few drops of water cut the flowers off at the stem and brought out more typical bourbon spices. Given its rarity and hefty price tag I have to say I am not quite as impressed as my SDT cohorts were. It’s good and I enjoyed it, I just wasn’t blown away. Having said that I’m still giving a 4.25. Thank to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. Cheers

I’ve had a few of these LESBs lately—-2014, 2016, and 2017. One year ago, I’d have thought all of these are the same, makes no difference. I’d be dead wrong. Four Roses has a 4 letter nomenclature which indicates yeast strains used. It’s always in the format OxSy, where the first letter is usually an O, meaning location of distillery ( Lawrenceburg, KY). The x is either E or B. E = 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley. B= 60/35/5 corn/rye/barley. The E is probably sweeter. The next letter S means straight whiskey. The variable letter y is the yeast strain. Can be either V = Light Fruitiness, Light Vanilla, Caramel and Creamy K = Light Slight Spice, Light Caramel and Full Bodied O = Rich Fruitiness, Light Vanilla, Caramel and Full Bodied Q = Essences of Floral F = Essences of Herbal Aromas So there you have it. These four letters amount to 10 possible recipes. Anyway, this 2016 version was my hands down favorite out of the three I’ve tried. Quite rich, sweet but not overly, and complex. The prices of course are just plain silly...I think I’ve seen this one go,for $350. It’s really good, probably hands down my favorite bourbon,..but $350 is quite pricey. You can get most of the way there by getting one of the single barrel Four Roses ( which means just one of the recipe variants, like an OESK, for example), for $60-80. Or maybe 80% of the way ther with an Elijah Craig full proof for $60. Is it worth $350? Depends...for me, this was the best bourbon I’ve had, so yes. Maybe not for others, just very individualistic. Fortunately I didn’t pay a dime for this... got it as a gift for teaching someone how to do puts and calls

Let’s just start by saying I already know that this is going to be good. Four Roses is the type of bourbon I seek. Cherries, oak, cinnamon, etc. I stumbled onto them by pure circumstance and chance while in Nashville and have been a fan ever since. The nose is vibrant and bright. A balance of spearmint and dill blend initially arrive. As it settles down, candy corn, maraschino cherries and oak come through and change or transform into more. This time baking spices: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg with worn leather. And yet the previous aromas still trickle through. A rich, Thanksgiving or late autumn aromas as a whole. The draw onto the palate is warming but not sharp. The body is weighty but not overly thick. It takes the palate a moment to acclimate. Then begins the polar flavorings of sweetness and spice: Brown sugar with grated cinnamon. Vanilla with nutmeg. Orange rind with butterscotch. Caramel popcorn and white pepper. The counter play of flavors are not in any linear flow but dance in pairs and weave amongst each other. As it fades, after some time, the tongue is prickled and senses pins and needles, which subsides in the finish. What remains on the palate lasts quite long. Charred oak, orange bitters, brown sugar that, again, tingles with spicy cinnamon, black pepper and yet a touch of caramel. I reiterate: Four Roses creates bourbons that fall into my wheelhouse. Baking spices, sweet and warming and all with balance. Another wonder creation. Thanks again @PBMichigamWolverine for the chance to sample this quality bourbon. [Tasted: 11/5/18][90/100]

Nose - (w/o water) Fruity, oaky vanilla, dark chocolate covered cherries, light cinnamon (w/ water) no change Taste - (w/o water) Nice cinnamon heat, fruity/floral vanilla, dry vanilla caramel, light dark chocolate bitter, tannic oak, cherries (w/ water) Cinnamon is more muted, more floral than fruity vanilla, caramel, more tannic. Finish - (w/o water) Lingering fruity cinnamon heat, tannic vanilla caramel, light cherry cough drops (w/ water) Less cinnamon burn, more tannic cherry cough drop. Score - 77/100 Final Thoughts - I wasn't too huge a fan of this one. It's not unpleasant, but at the same time it's not amazing. It tastes like a cinnamon/oak forward fruity/floral bourbon. Not any really off-putting flavors, but it tastes a bit over oaked with the tannins on the palate that continue on to the finish. Water doesn't really change it drastically one way or the other. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No

This is some excellent bourbon, especially once it has a little time to breathe. Initially, it presents as your average bourbon - buttery spoonbread, apple, spices, a little wood, a little leather on the nose. The palate, too, opened with green apple, baking spice, a hint of buttered skillet cornbread, and leather. Over time, the fruit dialed itself back and the spices cane more forward - with the usual cinnamon and nutmeg were clove, black pepper, and white pepper. There was a little bit of bite, but nothing too harsh. A damn fine bourbon; many thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for sharing!