Yellowstone Limited Edition 2020

I’d like to thank Common Ground PR and Limestone Branch for providing a review sample to me with no strings attached.

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If you aren’t from Minnesota and you want to know what the “normal” weather is like in the fall, just know that we got a foot of snow at my house last week and that last year I was sitting out on the deck with a drink during the same timeframe. That is to say, there is no “normal” fall weather in Minnesota. It may snow, you might be in shorts (even if those shorts are protesting the fact that you really shouldn’t be wearing shorts any longer).

But, in the words of the great Pauly Shore in the classic film Encino Man: “That’s boring dude, normal.”

I guess that’s what I like about many of the limited releases I get sent. There is no “normal” to them. They tend to change every year. Take the Yellowstone Limited Editions, in the past three years, there have been editions finished in wine casks, bourbons with no finishing and this year’s Armagnac cask finished bourbon. Here is what the distillery has to say about this year’s release:

“When I began working on this limited edition, I knew I wanted to finish our bourbon in a cask and I was looking for one that would add complexity and a dimension that expands the flavor profile,” says Steve Beam, master distiller at Limestone Branch Distillery. “Armagnac is a rustic, full-bodied spirit that contributes dark fruit notes, complementing the vanilla notes in the bourbon. Just like a chef adds spices to enhance flavors, I believe cask-finishing should be similar, where it simply enhances the natural flavors in the bourbon.”

Yellowstone Limited Edition 2020

Purchase Info: This sample was generously proved to me for review purposes by Common Ground PR and Limestone Branch Distillery. Suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price Per Drink (50mL): $6.67

Details: 50.5% ABV. Finished in Armagnac casks. 7 years old.

Nose: Spearmint, almond, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Nice cinnamon spice, almond, oak, honeydew melon, and brown sugar.

Finish: Long and warm with lingering notes of spearmint, melon, cinnamon spice, and floral herbs.

Thoughts: This is delicious. I really like the light touch that they've used on the Armagnac influence. If I wasn't looking for it, I might not have noticed it, showing up mainly on the finish for me. Regarding the price, my wife (the accountant) says that if she sees one of these, she is buying one. $100 is a lot of a bottle of bourbon, but if you have the means to splurge this one is one to splurge on.

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Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Fall 2020 edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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Well, it finally caught up to me. That thing people have been talking about since Work From Home became a thing? It happened. I spent most of the week with no idea what day it was. This is why there was no post on Tuesday. I realized about a half-hour before I went to bed that it was Tuesday. And I should have known since I had a business call with a freelance client that day…which I also forgot.

I never expected that I would lose track of the days. I mean, I’ve been working from home for over five years now. But apparently, I relied on everyone else leaving the house to set my own internal clock. And it has been happening all week. Monday I thought it was Tuesday. Tuesday I thought it was Monday. Yesterday I thought it was Friday. Which also carried over into today. If this post goes up on time, it will be a minor miracle.

But guess who hasn’t forgotten what time of year it is? That’s right Heaven Hill. They are back with yet another edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond. This edition is 14 years old, was distilled in the fall of 2005, and bottled in fall 2020. the suggested retail price is $140 continuing their trend of $10 per year of age.

But let’s see how it tastes before I forget to finish this thing.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Fall 2020 edition

Purchase Price: Heaven Hill graciously provided this sample for review purposes. The suggested retail price is about $140.

Price per Drink (50mL): $9.33

Details: Fall 2005, Bottled Fall 2020, 50% ABV, 14-year-old

Nose: Caramel, mint, a stack of dry oak, and a hint of cherry.

Mouth: Strong oak presence. Nice spice. Sweet caramel and vanilla. Cinnamon and mint.

Finish: Sweet and on the longer side of medium. Notes of caramel, cinnamon, and almond.

Thoughts: This is absolutely delicious. I'm sensing a trend that these might just have delicious as their baseline. I've been happy with every sample I've had. If I ever see one in a store priced anywhere near retail, I plan to pounce. Of course, as that is unlikely to happen in my neck of the woods, I'll be happy with the sample they sent.

Comparison to Spring 2020 edition: Fall 2020 is much sweeter on the nose with more oak. Spring 2020 Shows more fruit notes, whereas Fall 2020 is more oak and caramel forward. Fall 2020 has the butter finish.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Fall Brackets 2020: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Edition: Who won?

As you are probably aware, this is the last installment of a five-part series where I pit various Limited Edition bottles of Four Roses against each other, bracket-style. The idea grew out of a conversation I had with Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot last September. When I mentioned that I had bottles of this release going back to 2012, he asked what I was saving them for. Not having a good answer to that, I decided then and there that he was right and that I needed to have some fun with them. And since I couldn't get a bottle of 2020's version, it seemed like the right time to open them up and revisit a little yummy goodness.

Tonight we get to see which of these I liked best. My friend Fred Minnick picked 2013 as his Best Bourbon of the 21st Century So Far. If you’ve been following along, you will know that 2013 lost in the first round in a head-to-head taste-off. But, we all have different palates and we all like different things. This is what makes whiskey so much fun to talk about. Besides, 2013 was delicious. It came so close to winning its matchup.

Tonight we are looking at Round2 and the Championship all at once. I’ve been sitting on these results for over a month now and I can’t take it anymore. So without further adieu, let’s get down to it. We aren’t going to go into tasting notes, since we already did that. This is just comparative thoughts for each matchup. And remember, these were tasted completely blind from identical bottles labeled only with an alphanumeric code.

Four Roses Brackets Limited Edition Small Batch, Round 2

2015 vs. 2017

2015 has a nicer nose. Both are fruity but 2015 has more depth to the nose. 2015 has a better mouthfeel and leads with more spicy notes. 2017 is more fruit-forward and has a thinner mouthfeel relative to 2015. But, I love the way that the fruit presents on the 2017 edition. This is super tough but I think I have to give the nod to 2015.

2019 vs. 2012

The noses on these two are fairly similar. Sweet notes and oak. On the mouth, the 2019 edition is richer than the 2012 one. On my first sip of 2019, I just sighed and said "that tastes like classic Four Roses." And because of all that, 2019 advances.

Championship: 2019 vs. 2015

Once again, 2015 has a nicer nose. Sweeter and very slightly richer. On the mouth, 2019 is richer, spicier, and hotter. 2015 is fruitier but still brings the spice." But in the end, 2019 and that "classic Four Roses" flavor wins the day.

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So there you have it. In my estimation, last year’s version of Four Roses Limited Small Batch was the best to that point. It was shocking since I remember liking some of them, like 2016, so much in the initial tasting. If asked ahead of time, I would have sworn that 2016 was going to with the whole thing. In fact, I even told Brent Elliot when I talked to him about last year’s, that I preferred 2018. The same 2018 that didn’t make it out of the first round. I guess it just goes to show that memories are fallible and tasting isn’t a science. As I always say, this is what I thought of and how much I liked a whiskey on that day. Another day might bring another mood which might bring another feeling about what is in my glass.

But before we close out this competition, I saved just a taste of the 2020 sample to compare against the eventual winner. And I have to say, although it was tough and both were delicious, 2020 was the winner for both of us. It had all the spice and heat of 2019, but brought just a touch more fruit to the party. Which, when we are talking about Four Roses, is totally what I come for. Congrats to Brent Elliot and crew.

Ok. Regular posts return Thursday. Thanks for coming along on this exploration with me and allowing me to miss my trip to Kentucky a little less.

Special thanks to Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot for inspiring this series of posts.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020: Stave Profile SE4 x PR5

I’d like to thank the PR folks at Maker’s Mark for providing a review sample to me with no strings attached. Please note that the proof of the provided sample is slightly less than the finished product will be (110.0° proof vs 110.8° proof).

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Sooo…I was really dumb. I’m cold smoking some cheese using the A-Maze-N pellet smoker tray inside my new smoker, right? It smolders at a much cooler temp than the lowest temp I can set the smoker itself for. Well, I wasn’t wearing gloves. And when I went to pick up the tray, I used one hand to grab the cold side and then the other to steady the hot side.

Yeah. I have a nice dimple pattern melted into the tips of the thumb and forefinger of one of my left hand. It’ll be a nice reminder to WEAR FUCKING GLOVES from now on. And since it happened just before I set out to write this, I am going to type as little as possible during the review of the new Maker’s Mark Limited Release tonight. Here are a few pertinent quotes from the Press Release.

“Since the introduction of Maker’s Mark 46, wood staves have become our tool of choice for unlocking and amplifying natural flavors already present in our classic Maker’s Mark – always purposefully and with a specific taste vision in mind,” says Jane Bowie, Director of Innovation at Maker’s Mark. “Where Maker’s Mark 46 was about creating a ‘bolder’ Maker’s, and the 2019 release was all about boosting the notes of baking spice and fruit, our 2020 Limited Release has been a quest to amp up those rich vanilla and buttery-caramel flavors that typically stem from our unique approach to seasoning our barrel wood outside for a full year.” 

This year’s limited offering differs from its 2019 predecessor by utilizing two stave styles – one drawing on vanilla, the other on caramel – that when married together yield a rich Maker’s Mark reminiscent of butter pecan. The multi-stave approach was the result of more than twelve months of experimentation with Maker’s Mark barrel producer Independent Stave Company. The first stave in the 2020 Limited Release, SE4, is made from Virgin French Oak, convection cooked at medium heat with a short toast period and responsible for much of the caramel flavor. The second stave, PR5, is made from Virgin American Oak and convection cooked at low heat very slowly over time to bring out vanilla.

Bottled at 110.8 proof, each 750mL bottle of the Maker’s Mark 2020 Limited Release will retail for a suggested $59.99 and will be available nationwide beginning in September, while supplies last.

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020: Stave Profile SE4 x PR5

Purchase Price: This was graciously provided by Maker’s Mark for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 55% ABV (final release proof will be 55.4% ABV). Uses two new staves made from Virgin Toasted American and French Oak (SE4 and PR5, not sure which is which).

Nose: Spearmint, lots of toffee, some oak, and herbal cherry notes.

Mouth: Toffee, herbal cherry, cinnamon, oak, and nutmeg.

Finish: Medium to long and spicy. Strong notes of cinnamon along with herbal cherry and nutmeg.

Thoughts: This is really good. At first, there is just a ton of toffee. The herbal cherry notes threw me at first, but after a couple of sips, those spicy, herbal notes drew me in. Water amps up the sweetness and tames some of the herbal notes, bringing out even more toffee. I really like this one.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Fall Brackets 2020: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Edition: Round 1c, 2019 vs. 2014

Well, we are most of the way through Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Month, and even though I wasn't able to celebrate it in Kentucky with my friends this year, I do get to spend more time with the bottles I've picked up there in the past.

As you are probably aware, this is the third installment of a five-part series where I pit various Limited Edition bottles of Four Roses against each other, bracket-style. The idea grew out of a conversation I had with Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot last September. When I mentioned that I had bottles of this going back to 2012, he asked what I was saving them for. Not having a good answer to that, I decided then and there that he was right and that I needed to have some fun with them. And since I wasn't able to get a bottle of 2020's version, it seemed like the right time to open them up and revisit a little yummy goodness.

Speaking of last year's Bourbon Festival, tonight's first entry is last year's edition. 2019 was a fun trip to Kentucky. And one where I didn't spend a lot of time at the festival itself. Instead, I spent some time with my friends at MB Roland for the first time in a couple of years. I had drinks with a few other friends and their families. And (after having an anxiety attack that forced me to miss the Foo Fighters on Friday night) went to Bourbon and Beyond Saturday night courtesy of my friend Fred Minnick.

The other entry is 2014. 2014 was a year that I went all-in on the events of BourbonFest. I did as many as I could fit in and loved every minute of it. It was only my second time at the festival, and I wanted to experience all that I could.

So here we go. Remember, these were tasted completely blind from identical bottles labeled only with an alphanumeric code.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2019

Original Review: 2019 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: "This is a very good Bourbon. I like how the cocoa and nutty notes play with the spicy cinnamon. The caramel and the fruity undercurrent add a nice depth to the product. Water dampens the fruitiness and accentuates the oak without compromising the spiciness. I like this one without water personally, but the proof is high enough that I'll be drinking the rest of this sample in small pours because of that."

Details/Original Price: 56.3% ABV. A blend of 11-year-old OESV, 15-year-old OESV, 15-year-old OESK, 21-year-old OBSV Purchase Price: $140.

Nose: Toffee, apricot, Juicy Fruit gum, oak, vanilla, baking spice, and a light smokey note.

Mouth: Thick and rich. Toffee, vanilla, baking spice, and a light fruitiness.

Finish: Medium to long with cinnamon, cocoa, oak, and a light fruitiness.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2014

Original Review: 2014 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: "This is a very good whiskey and I like it a lot. It's extremely drinkable, even at over 55% ABV … If you find it and find yourself flush with cash, pick it up. If you are a fan-boy like me, pick it up."

Original Details/Price: 55.9% ABV. A blend of 9-year-old OBSK, 13-year-old OBSV, 12-year-old OESV, 11-year-old OBSF Purchase Price: $110

Nose: Brown sugar, mint, cinnamon, clove, tobacco, and a slight fruitiness.

Mouth: Thick and rich. Caramel, honey, oak, cinnamon, and herbal mint.

Finish: Medium to long with lingering spicy cinnamon and oak.

Thoughts:

These are both fairly spice-forward. 2019 has a bit of fruit that 2014 is missing. 2019 is also sweeter. Overall, 2019 is just a more complex and better-tasting bourbon. And because of that, it will advance to Round 2.

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Special thanks to Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot for inspiring this series of posts.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Fall Brackets 2020: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Edition: Round 1b, 2013 vs. 2017

As you know, I am not in Kentucky for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival this week as I would have ordinarily been. This means that there was no real way for me to get a bottle of 2020’s Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. To console myself, I’ve gone ahead and put the last eight year’s releases up against one another Bracket Style. Tonight’s matchup features 2013’s 125th Anniversary release and the 2017 release.

Fun fact, the last time I wasn’t in Kentucky during September was 2013. I spent the time in Toronto meeting whiskey friends. I got a bottle thanks to another whiskey friend who happened to see it on the shelf at his local store, but am tasting out of the sample bottles that I put away in my Sample Library.

2017 happened to be the first time I worked as “Press” at events during BourbonFest. I got free passes, talked to some folks, made some notes, and wrote about them after I got home. It was also the first year that a reader recognized me on the streets of Bardstown and asked if they could get a photo with me. It was all very weird but very flattering.

So here we go. Remember these were tasted completely blind from identical bottles labeled only with an alphanumeric code.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2013

Original Review: 2013 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “I’ve heard people describe it as the best bourbon they’ve ever had, but that’s probably pushing it a bit. I’ll go ahead and say that, for me, it’s not even the best Four Roses I’ve had. I would rank both the 2012 Limited Small Batch and the 2009 Mariage higher (which were basically equally good in my book). 2013 was a bit too thick and sweet and the flavors a bit more muddied when compared to the 2012. But that’s splitting hairs. I can see why this was chosen to be the American Whiskey of the Year last year, it’s an amazing whiskey. It’s just not the best ever.”

Details/Original Price: A blend of 18-year-old OBSV, 13-year-old OBSK, and 13-year-old OESK. Purchase Price: $99.

Nose: Raspberry preserves, oak, vanilla.

Mouth: Oak, raspberry preserves, Juicy Fruit gum, baking spice

Finish: Medium length. Lingering Wintergreen, raspberry preserves, oak, and cinnamon.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2017

Original Review: 2017 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “I know what you are thinking. "Obviously Eric loves this, he's a Four Roses fanboy." Well, you are half right. I am a fanboy. But this doesn't rate a heart from me (my wife disagrees most vehemently). It does, however, rate a very high "like." It's thick and rich and the finish lasts for days.”

Original Details/Price: 54% ABV. A blend of 20% 15-year-old OESK, 40% 13-year-old OESK, and 12-year-old OESV bourbons. MSRP: $130.

Nose: Juicy Fruit Gum, Orange Creamsicle, caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and a hint of oak.

Mouth: Fruity, creamy, and spicy. Cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, vanilla, red fruits, and oak.

Finish: Medium to long and warm. Cinnamon, vanilla, oak, and orange Creamsicle.

Thoughts:

This is a hard one. Both of these are fruit-forward. The obvious difference is that one reminds me of rich, cooked raspberries while the other is bright and refreshing in its fruit presentation. I really like both of these and I could see either one winning in a different matchup. But I'm giving 2017 the nod.

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Thanks to Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot for inspiring this series of posts.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Sample Roulette: Tasting 5 Blind Samples

I used to keep a lot of small sample bottles of whiskey. Until one day, I didn’t. I stopped mostly because the overwhelming urge to never finish a bottle had worn off. I’d finish the bottle without remembering to put aside a sample of it. I summed up my reasoning for initially keeping samples pretty nicely back in 2017 so I’m just going to let Past Me do some of the work for a moment.

There was a time, not so long ago in the grand scheme of things, that I fell victim to a touch of hoarding. Whiskey hoarding to be exact. I had the urge to make sure I never finished a bottle. I had some vague thought that I might never have that whiskey again. And if I never actually finished the bottle, I could still have it anytime I wanted. 

Yes, I imagined the nostalgia I would have in the future for the time I was currently living in. If that is confusing for you, try living it. As part of my need to deal with my, then undiagnosed, anxiety disorder I decided that I was worrying too much about what was still in the bottles. And so I came up with the plan to set aside two sample bottles from each bottle of whiskey I opened. I told myself it was for the blog. It was for posterity. It was long term research to see if things changed over time. But I was really trying to put off that future regret and nostalgia. 

Now back in 2017, I realized that this wasn’t something I needed to do any longer. So, I decided to split my samples between those that I was going to drink immediately and those that I might have a use for in the future. I wasn’t exactly sure what use that might be, but I figured that was a problem for Future Me to deal with.

Now, these samples were sitting pretty high up and pretty far back in the old whiskey closet. To be honest I’d forgotten about them until I started pulling out the old bottles of Four Roses Limited Small Batch. As I pulled the five or six boxes of bottles out, I came to a conclusion.

I didn’t need these anymore.

And as I looked through the bottles, I had a thought. Seeing as it is Bourbon Heritage Month, I might as well start drinking some “heritage” bourbon. Well, if you can call samples from 2011-2017 “heritage,” that is. And what is more fun than drinking a sample of bourbon? That’s right. Not knowing ahead of time what bourbon it is or if it is any good or not.

I mean, I had things mostly set up for a lot of fun blind tastings, anyway. I had limited editions sitting next to bottom-shelf turds. I had ryes, bourbons, and Irish whiskey all mingled together. I had craft distiller experiments sitting next to brands almost as old as bourbon itself. All sitting in identical bottles. And all I needed to do was put a little piece of tape over the label to completely obscure what I was pouring into my glass.

So I did. And then I thought that since it is Bourbon Heritage month, maybe you guys would like to come along for the ride with us.

Blind Whiskey Sample #1:

Nose: Mint, garden greens, caramel.

Mouth: Cinnamon, caramel, mint, snap peas.

Finish: Short and mercifully so. Cinnamon, oak, and more snap peas.

Thoughts: Not exactly sure why I decided that I needed to save a sample from every bottle back then... but I did and you get to enjoy my discomfort. Yeah, this one is not good. Snap peas are not a note I look for in bourbon. This one would have been better off being used for flavored whiskey.

Reveal: Old Crow Reserve.

Blind Whiskey Sample #2:

Nose: Cinnamon, cola, oak.

Mouth: Oak, cinnamon, cedar, cola, ginger, mint.

Finish: On the longer side of medium. Lingering notes of cedar, ginger, mint, and after everything else fades, coffee.

Thoughts: This is really good. I'm digging it. A very nice rye whiskey. Kinda wishing I could go back in time to snag another of whatever this is. Who knows, maybe it's still for sale.

Reveal: Col. E. H. Taylor Bottled in Bond Rye

Blind Whiskey Sample #3:

Nose: Peanut butter, clove, caramel.

Mouth: Follows the nose. Sweet. Peanut butter, caramel, and cinnamon.

Finish: Short side of medium. More peanut butter, cinnamon, butterscotch, and a touch of dried grain.

Thoughts: This really reminds me of peanut-brittle. It's very sweet. Almost too sweet. Very candy-like. Dessert in a glass. I'm very interested to see what this is because I can't quite place it.

Reveal: JW Dant Bottled in Bond.

Blind Whiskey Sample #4

Nose: Cedar, mint, cherry pipe tobacco.

Mouth: Follows the nose with cedar, mint, cherry pipe tobacco and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium to short. Cinnamon, mint, tobacco.

Thoughts: I'm going to guess this is a fine example of a producer who bought some 95% rye from MGP and dumped it in a bottle. Of course, since I am a big fan of MGP rye, I only ever minded that if said producer lied about it. And since this is from back when folks were doing that, I'm guessing I was irritated by this one. In any case, I like this one a lot.

Reveal: James E. Pepper 1776 Rye, 6 year old.

Blind Whiskey Sample #5

Nose: Ripe fruits, baking spice, bubblegum.

Mouth: Thin mouthfeel. Strong ripe fruit notes. Cinnamon.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Cherry (almost like cherry cough syrup), cinnamon.

Thoughts: This is either a Brandy or a bourbon that was barrel finished. If it is a brandy, cool. Tastes like brandy. If barrel-finished they overshot the mark because the finish took over. If it isn't either, then hell, I don't know. I do know I don't think I care for this one.

Reveal: New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon.

Well, there you have it. The first set of blind tastings. I’m sure that there will be more in the future because I had a lot of fun with this. I really enjoyed the two ryes and the Dant. I bought Beer Barrel Bourbon exactly once, and now I think I remember why. And I have two questions on the Old Crow Reserve: why did I feel like I needed to save this? And why did I feel the need to save it a second time? Not to worry though…this time it got dumped out after tasting notes were finished.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Fall Brackets 2020: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Edition: Round 1a, 2018 vs 2015

This is the first September since 2013 that I haven’t had a vacation to Kentucky to look forward to. And, for that reason, it is also the first year since 2013 that I have no shot of getting a bottle of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. I mean, I’m in the drawing like everyone else, but I know how I usually fare in drawings of that sort. Here’s a hint: not well.

Back in 2013, I had a lucky break when a friend in Las Vegas was able to find a bottle for me. This was back when, in some areas, you could still find it on the store shelves now and then. This year, I’ll have to be happy with the taste I got when they sent me a sample. Oh, and the seven unopened bottles that I’ve saved from years past.

Which brings me to this little bracket I’ve decided to throw together. It all started last year when I was talking to Brent Elliot at the breakfast that Four Roses usually holds the Friday of BourbonFest. I’m not intentionally name dropping here, just giving credit where due. In a way, this series of posts is all his fault. See we were discussing what I thought of the 2019 Small Batch release when it came up that I had a bottle of almost every edition back to 2012 and that I had gotten most of them at that very event.

His very good question was: “What are you saving them for?” Well, I didn’t have a good answer for that. I had this vague idea that I wanted to be able to open them up all at once and share the experience with friends. But I didn’t have any firm idea for what to do with them. So I decided that at some point in 2020, I was going to gather a few like minded-friends to give them all a taste. Yeah…so much for that. 2020 kinda put the kibosh on that thought, but I was inspired to open them all up anyway as a way to “console myself” for not getting a bottle this year. And since they are open anyway why not see which one is the best?

These were tasted blind. In order to remove any preconceived notions, I poured samples of each into 100mL bottle bottles that were only labeled with a 10 digit alphanumeric code. I then shuffled them around as best as possible, seeded them, and then waited a week so that I would no longer even have a hint of what year went with what code. Over the course of a week, we tasted all the way through to the winner before we revealed what bourbon went with what code.

I was determined to make this into an event for ourselves. And now I’ve decided to share the results with you over the course of the next month. (Don’t worry, if you find a challenge between bourbons that you are unlikely to have to be boring, I am not running all the posts consecutively.)

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2018

Original Review: 2018 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “This is a hot and spicy beast of a dram. It is hot. The caramel is at the forefront, and the spice will bite you if you aren't prepared for it. The fruit is still there, but this year it plays more in the ripe, juicy peaches and cherry range. This is not a "mellow" bourbon.”

Details/Original Price: A blend of 10-year-old OBSV, a 13-year-old OBSF, a 14-year-old OESV, and 16-year-old OESK. 54.2% ABV. $140 MSRP.

Nose: Caramel, nutmeg, vanilla, and almond.

Mouth: Caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, red fruits, and oak.

Finish: Sweet and spicy. Medium length. Cinnamon, oak, and almond.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015

Original Review: 2015 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “Oh. My. God! I hesitate to say this for fear of fanning the fervor, but this might be my favorite Limited Small Batch yet. This is Mr. Rutledge’s last outing on this and he has outdone himself. Standing ovation on this one. Amazing!”

Original Details/Price: A mix of 16-year-old OBSK, 15-year-old OESK, 14-year-old OESK and 11-year-old OBSV. 54.3% ABV. $120 MSRP.

Nose: Very rich. This smells like a baking cinnamon roll. Bready, sweet brown sugar and cinnamon.

Mouth: Bright and floral. Cinnamon, cherry, brown sugar, and oak.

Finish: Medium to long. Oak, oak, oak. Brown sugar

Thoughts:

2015 is my clear winner in this matchup. The nose is amazing. Extremely rich. The bright floral mouth is a pleasant addition. 2018 is also very good, obviously. It just isn't as complex as 2015. The Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015 moves to round 2.

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Thanks to Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot for inspiring this series of posts.

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