Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2019)

So a blend of 11, 15, and 21 year old bourbon bottled at 56.37%. I'm sure there are some mixes of their different types but frankly I don't know a lot about four roses and I generally don't care for their bourbon. Nose - sweet vanilla, pine, some cinnamon, some kinds of pie crust and marmalade, leather, oak, shoe vanish. You really get that there's an old whisky in here. An almost dusty antique oak note. Water brings out vanilla and spice and pushes the dusty oak back just a bit, no real change in the notes I get, just how they come across. Taste - Cinnamon apple pie, oak, spices, vanilla. There are 3 or 4 transitions from sweet up front to a light spicy and lightly hot finish, but then it has a second finish where the spices come even stronger, and then a 4th just lingering spicy oak note. Water much like the nose brings a bit more sweetness out but doesn't change the transitions and spices over leathered oak and all the cinnamon apple pie like notes. Overall, this whisky has changed my mind on Four Roses. The complexity here is completely off the charts. it brings all the characteristics of good old well aged bourbon, the leather, that deep vanilla, that high quality oak note, and then it brings with it the punch and the fire of younger whisky (not so young as to be rot gut of course). I'm absolutely impressed with four roses here, now if they can just make more of the older stuff and less of their regular line up. I'm going 4.25 here. An outstanding bourbon, but lets not go crazy yet here.

Taste: 2 oz in glen cairn neat and then 2 drops water. Nose (4.5): Delicious nose. Orchard fruits drizzled in caramel. Notes of leather like an old book study. There is a dustiness about it that is pleasing. Plenty of ethanol lets you know this will have a punch. The nose is strong an inviting. The first whiff is strong but let it sit and the nose is a treat. Palate (4.25): Wintergreen is on the front end. Surprises at first because I never got it on the nose. There is a hint of red raspberry on the mid palate that gives way to apples. The back palate is loads of spice and pepper. This is a spicy rye forward offering. Not for the faint of heart. Finish (4.0): Long and drying. The older bourbon really comes through here. Lots of old oak and hits of baking spice. My chief complaint is that it may be too drying. Finish was my least favorite part here. Overall: First, I like what Four Roses does. They batch from ten different recipes which are derived from 5 different mashbills and 2 yeast strains. Each single barrel is distinct on its own. This blend is a treat of some fine 15 and 11 year old whiskies and a 21 year old to boot! But you do "pay at the pump" so to speak. $165 retail is alot of commitment. If you are a Four Roses geek.....don't hesitate, buy it. If you are just getting your feet wet, experience the Single Barrel Select for way less first. Would I buy a second bottle- no. Was the experience worth it to me-- maybe. I really want to see how this one opens up.

Neat. Neck pour. A fresh cinnamon roll to start. Quite a bit of delicious oak and vanilla. The nose has this rich and creamy presence within that vanilla. There is a sweetness that takes over the longer I sit with it. Dark cherries emerge. Creamy and smooth on the tongue. Quite oily. Oh that is good. Waves of flavors that just keep coming. First on the tongue, it’s brighter than I was expecting with that rich vanillas and hit of apple dominating rather than the spice, cinnamon or oak. On the taste it transitioned to this delightful chocolate then into oak and cinnamon. It mutes for a second and then you get a second wave of oak and vanilla. The tannins dry the mouth a bit. Just when you think it’s over the vanilla finds it’s way back as your mouth tries to counter balance the drying. Then in my mouth I can still chew on the cherry. What a delightful ride. The nose is still changing too. That chocolate note and oak are taking center stage. This is perfect.

The color is a glowing, rich amber that immediately clings to the sides of glass, endlessly dripping down. The nose is welcoming with vanilla pastry cream, oak, old leather, floral rye, cooked caramel and just the perfect hint of dried fruit. It’s not as overwhelming as you might expect given its proof and the variety of age statements, rather there is the perfect blend of each that all of the elements are presented on their own. The palate is somewhat dry oily, with the floral rye mixing with the pastry cream to coat the mouth in a wonderful mix of flavors, while enough spice and pepperyness comes out to keep it all balanced, while an interesting creamy maple comes out at the end to give a pleasantly unexpected finish to the palate. The finish is medium long with that burst of spiciness subsiding leaving the palate to take its time in fading. Maybe not as impactful as previous years releases, but a master stroke none the less and a truly excellent bourbon.

Nose- Initial wave of herbal wildflowers; juicy raspberries; vanilla; aged oak; honey; cinnamon spice Palate- wave of sweet honey; bright red fruits; juicy fruit gum; aged oak; cinnamon; rich vanilla Finish- Long, creamy and drying finish; Light dusting of cinnamon; juicy fruit gum; aged, spicy oak) This lives up to the hype. Wow, best four roses release i’ve tried. From nose to finish, this is perfectly balanced with an explosion of aromas and flavors. The palate on this is to die for. The nose was a bit subdued initially, but after a couple minutes in the glass it opened up greatly. The nose is described perfectly on the bottle (raspberries, honey, aged oak) with additional notes of herbal wildflowers and cinnamon. You can taste the age in all the right ways. The palate is fantastic and the most shining aspect of this whiskey. The finish, as expected, is long, with a drying sensation on the tongue and creamy mouthfeel.

I thought I was going to reserve the 5 star rating for Bookers 30th, but here we are again. Raise the glass slowly at a tilt, breathe in with the nose. You'll smell a smell so wonderful that they make candles out of it. It smells like a rickhouse with vanilla candles scattered throughout. The palate extends fully on the spectrum: berries and cream, tobacco, butterscotch with a slight hint of citrus. The finish hits every note perfectly with a long, warm oak and raspberry finish. Oily mouthfeel to keep it going. This is Four Roses version of Craft Your Perfect Bourbon and they hit the nail right on the head. It's perfect.