Four Roses Taps a 25-Year Bourbon for Its Incredible Small Batch Blend
To celebrate its 135th Anniversary, Four Roses is doing what it has done for the past 16 years: launch its annual Small Batch Limited Edition. The eagerly-awaited 2023 blend features one particularly old bourbon. Not that older means better, but many whiskey fiends get excited about the more grizzled liquids.
Four Roses is a particularly interesting whiskey. The distillery makes 10 different recipes using two mash bills and five yeast strains—with each of the 10 given a four-letter label like OESK. While the core Four Roses bourbon is made from a combination of all of these liquids, the annual small batch is made from a continually evolving amalgam.
The Four Roses 135th Anniversary 2023 Small Batch Limited Edition comes in at a somewhat fiery 108 proof (54 percent ABV) and is made up of four bourbons hand-selected by master distiller Brent Elliott. Forty percent of the liquid is 14-year-old OESK, 35 percent is 12-year-old OESV, 20 percent is 16-year-old OESV, and five percent is 25-year-old OBSV recipe. The latter is the oldest whiskey ever included in the blend.
Each 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch bottle has been hand-numbered. Only 15,060 bottles have been released.
Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition whiskey blend offers delicate aromas of allspice, vanilla, and elegant oak, which mingle with hints of cinnamon and clove.
Courtesy Image
“This release celebrates 135 years of meticulously crafted, high quality bourbon, and I’m excited to hear what our devoted consumers have to say about it,” says Elliott. “In crafting this blend, I wanted to create an elegant bourbon worthy of the brand’s heritage. Each of the 12-, 14-, and 16-year-old batches possesses individual characteristics that complement each other perfectly.
“Once the ideal balance of these three batches was achieved, I looked at several other batches of various ages and recipes to add an extra layer of nuance to the blend,” adds Elliott. “Ultimately, I selected the 25-year-old OBSV, which melds perfectly with the other batches and adds additional complexity and depth.”
Related: 50 Best Whiskeys in the World 2023
On the nose, the finished bourbon offers delicate aromas of allspice, vanilla, and elegant oak, which mingle with hints of cinnamon and clove. The palate delivers rich layers of honey and rye spice, balanced out by berries and pear that lead to a long mellow finish.
Four Roses underwent a brand refresh earlier this year. The 2023 Limited Edition Small Batch is the first to feature new packaging details, including the brand’s updated logo and an engraved rose cluster on the cork of the bottle.
[$200; fourroses.com]
