Four Roses Limited Small Batch 2016

September 29, 2016 Eric Burke

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, 2016 release.

Tonight I’m going to get right into the review, not because I can’t spin yarns about the place that the Four Roses Limited Small Batch has in my life or why I have a fondness for it. I could easily do that. And might if you give me half a shot. No I’m going to jump right into it because I have a surprise for after the review and I don’t want this post to be so long people don’t get down to it. Plus, if you follow me on twitter, you already know I love this one so why drag it out.

Four Roses Limited Small Batch 2016

Purchase Info: $120 for a 750mL at the Four Roses Distillery Gift Shop, Lawrenceburg, KY.

Details: 55.6% ABV. 3 recipes at varying ages: OESO (12 years old), OBSV (12 years old), and OESK (16 years old).

Nose: Mint and apricot with baking spice, caramel and a hint of smoke underneath.

Mouth: Earthy honey, citrus, apricot, cloves, oak and herbal notes.

Finish: Beautiful, warm finish with lingering notes of mint cloves and apricot.

Thoughts: I love this every year and this year is no exception. Looking back at previous years I’m often found writing the words “this might be my favorite yet.” Well, they can’t be the best every year, can they? Do they all just keep getting better? It’s kinda hard to say. They are pretty damn good. And I tend to love or really like every release. But, unless you are some super compulsive person who keeps samples of everything you’ve opened for the last few years, it’d be hard to compare one year to the next. (whistles nervously…)

Overall, the one that I remember liking the best out of all of them is 2009. I remember it as fruitier than the more spice forward versions that have come out in recent years. Of course upon tasting this year’s release for the first time, I tweeted out that this might even give 2009 a run for it’s money. I was called out on that by Josh at SipologyBlog.com as 2009 is one of his favorites as well. So the challenge has been extended and accepted. I’m pulling one of my 2009 samples out of storage in order to see. As it was the last of these to use the OESO recipe, it’s an apt comparison.

Four Roses Mariage 2009

Purchase Info: $80 at Haskell’s Wine and Spirits, Woodbury Minnesota (in 2011)

Details: 54.8% ABV. 2 recipes at varying ages: OBSK (10 years old), OBSK (19 years old), and OESO (10 years old).

Nose: Caramel, mint and cinnamon candies with a light fruitiness underneath.

Mouth: Delicate fruitiness with caramel, oak, cinnamon and herbal notes.

Finish: Nice and long with delicate fruit and spice flavors.

Thoughts: This embodies the Four Roses ideal of “Mellow.” It’s flavorful but not over-powering. Tasty and fruity with nice spice. I still love this one.

Comparison: 2016 has more oak on the nose, but otherwise they are fairly similar. Though certain notes push themselves to the forefront in each, they also follow a similar flavor profile. 2016 is sweeter and more boldly flavored while 2009 is more delicate and mellow. I love them both, but I would personally lean toward the 2016 release and it’s bolder flavors. My verdict is that 2016 certainly gives 2009 a run for its money and even surpasses it. Josh, you owe it to yourself to get your hands on this one.

And now for the surprise. Unless you are very lucky, it is unlikely that you will see this bourbon on the shelf. But I want to do something to make this post a little more inclusive. Every attendee at the Let’s Talk Bourbon event during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival get’s a few things. One is a pen and some paper so you can take notes during the event. There is science being explained and I’ve taken my fair share of notes at these. You also get a program that outlines how bourbon is made, going ever so slightly into the science. And as you are leaving, they often give you a gift bag. This year the bag contained a set of four metal whiskey cubes (these can be used instead of ice to chill your drink) each contained with the Four Roses logo. I haven’t tried them, but they look cool.

The odds of my wife and I using two sets of these stones is slim so I thought I’d give one to a lucky reader. I was also able to get the Let’s Talk Bourbon Program signed by both four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot and Four Roses Brand Ambassador Al Young. And I’m giving that away to a second reader. The pen…well Brent Elliot stole that when he signed the book. So I guess I already gave that away.

You can enter the giveaway using the form below, please only enter once. I’m planing to remove duplicates before I randomly pick a winner so it won’t help your chances. There will be two winners chosen one getting each item. All I’m asking in return is that you answer a question. The answers will help inform future posts and in an anonymized and aggregate sort of way may end up in a future post on their own.

Good Luck! You have until Saturday, October 8th to enter (you need to "log-in" so I can receive your email address to notify you if you win, either log-in method gets me that).

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Antiquing and Bottle Dating: Four Roses and Related

April 14, 2016 Eric Burke

Spiritus Frumenti. Four Roses medicinal whiskey bottle.

Due to a recent sickness I’ve been talking about buying old bottles and how I go about figuring out a little about what I’ve just bought. How old it is, what’s the story of the company, etc. I couldn’t end this little series without a look at the bottles I picked up from one of my favorite brands of whiskey: Four Roses.

Once again I’m presenting a little bit of how I got to where I gave up with each bottle and this time I show that the results you come up with aren’t always as firm as you’d like them to be.

Paul Jones Whiskey Bottle

Picked up for $8 at a bottle and advertising show.

If you are a Four Roses fan, you’ve probably heard the name Paul Jones. He is the man who they credit with starting the brand. Less well publicized is that Four Roses was just one of Paul Jones’ brands. One of which was just named: Paul Jones Whiskey.

I found this bottle at a Bottle and Advertising show here in the Twin Cities. It was being sold by the man who dug it up, I believe locally. Being a Four Roses fanboy, I noticed it right away in the mess of bottles he had on his table. Unlike most of the tables, he hadn’t really spent a lot of time polishing the years of age off his bottles. They looked like they were dug up and washed, still containing all the scuff marks that time and elements had put on them.

Once I got home, it was time to see what I had. I opened my usual bottle dating site and found that to my surprise, it was no help. Bottle dating as is done on that site depends on a lot of small features: mold seams, embossing, makers marks, etc. The problem was this bottle had no marks, no seams, no embossing. The only thing it had was a glass seal containing the name of the whiskey and the words Louisville, KY. This seal had been applied to the shoulder of the bottle after the bottle was formed. Other than that, nothing. It’s a very well made, cylindrical and symmetrical bottle of uniform thickness that was somehow made without seams, or the seams had been polished off either during production or after. In either case, it was of no help to me.

Glass seal affixed to the shoulder of 19th Century Paul Jones Whiskey bottle.

So knowing that this whiskey was from one of the most well known historical whiskey men, I turned to my next favorite site for help in dating bottles: Google. And there I found a lot of interesting information. Those Pre-Pro Whiskey Men has a great write-up of the man Paul Jones and his business interests. Pre-pro.com has another that contains similar, though slightly different information. But the biggest bit of information came on an image search. There I found tons of examples of this or very similar bottles for sale. All of them said they were from the 1880s or 1890s. How did they get that info? No idea. But it is all I have to go on so I’ll have to tentatively go with that. If I ever see the bottle seller again, I’ll need to see if he has any further info.

Four Roses Embossed Bottle

Picked up for $10 at a bottle and advertising show.

Prohibition era Four Roses Medicinal Whiskey bottle

Speaking of Four Roses, the other bottle I picked up at the same seller was a bottle from Four Roses itself. The amber bottle is embossed on the front with four roses on vines and space for labels. In the upper space is the battered remnants of a label. On the label are the words: “Four Roses, Spiritus Frumenti, 100 Proof, An Alcoholic Stimulant Made From The Fermented Mash of Grain.” Along the tattered edges of the label are a few leaves.

I have an inkling that this bottle was a medicinal whiskey bottle as it looks a lot like others I have found online. Right down to the threads for the screw on “shot glass cup” that others in much better shape still have. So let’s see if I can glean any info from the bottle itself.

The “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR REUSE OF THIS BOTTLE” statement is not on the bottle so the bottle is either pre repeal or post 1964. Other than that, the bottle dating site isn’t of much help. There is a scar on the bottom of the bottle, the statement: TM REG U.S. PAT OFF, PAT PENDING,” what looks to be a 7 and what looks to be a Diamond makers mark. Unfortunately, the scar runs right through the diamond obscuring if it has an I inside if there was, it is an Illinois Glass logo if it is empty it would be the Diamond Glass company. Either could be in use during Prohibition. So no help.

Once again Google image search is my answer on this one and this particular Pinterest pin by friend of the blog Coopered Tot makes me think I was correct all along. The label is the same (though in better shape), the metal cover matches where the screw threads are on mine. I’m calling it. Prohibition-era medicinal whiskey pint.

Four Roses Mini

Picked up for $10-$20 at an antique mall in Southern Minnesota.

This little miniature bottle of Four Roses was purchased about a year or so ago so I’m not quite sure on the price, but I’m thinking it was in the $10 to $20 range. I picked it up both becasue I am a Four Roses fanboy and because I noticed that there happened to be something in it. Now I’m not quite crazy enough to put something in my mouth that has been sitting in a partially full bottle for half a century or more, but I will smell it. And it smells pretty tasty.

Miniatures can be a bit harder to date as it seems many of the federally mandated features that allow me to date a bottle of whiskey are allowed to be missing. Those features only being mandated on items over 8 ounces.

Starting with the basics. I notice this bottle has both a state and federal tax stamp. This little guy came to southern Minnesota by way of New Mexico. I often wonder about things like this. Why did a mostly empty bottle of whiskey travel from New Mexico to Minnesota? How did it end up on that shelf in the store? These bottles only have about 2 ounces in when full. Why leave two-thirds of an ounce or so behind and why not return later if it was good or at least dump it out if it wasn’t? I picture all sorts of stories when I think of things like this. Maybe one day I’ll write one of them down.

The bottle is amber with a metal cap and a black foil label. The label reads: “Four Roses Bourbon, A Blend of Straight Whiskies. Blended by Frankfort Distillers Incorporated, Louisville KY Baltimore MD.” The back label is intact as well reading: “Four Roses, Reg U.S. Pat Off. 100% Straight Whiskies • 90 proof. Blended by Frankfort Distillers Incorporated, Louisville KY. A Blend of Straight Whiskies. 90 proof. 1/10 Pint. The Straight Whiskies in this Product Are 5 Years or More Old. Contains not less than 51% Straight Bourbon Whiskey.”

the bottom of a Four Roses miniature bottle from 1941 as seen by the 41 date code.

The bottom of the bottle is stippled and includes the Owens-Illinois logo. To the left of that is a 6. To the right is a 41 and below it is a 5. If the placement of everything is as usual, the 41 should be the date code. The description of the state tax stamp for that time period matches so I’m pretty confident in that being the date. Meaning that this little guy was made in 1941. Purchased in New Mexico. Partially consumed. Sealed back up and left to sit for almost 75 years. Somewhere along the way it made its way halfway across the country before ending up in rural southern Minnesota where I found it. I know the story is probably mundane, but I wish I had a way of knowing it. Thoughts like these are what keeps me going back to antique stores.

Four Roses Single Barrel, Gift Shop - September 2015 Brent Elliott selection

January 5, 2016 Eric Burke

Four Roses Single Barrel-Gift Shop Selection

Change is hard sometimes. That’s an understatement, right? For examples see the uproar after any change on any social network. Change is so hard for people to take that even rumors of change can cause news articles to be written. (Real headline from Fortune on New Years Eve 2015: Facebook Might Change It’s Newsfeed.)

Change is especially hard when it involves something you really like. Years ago, I ran the art department of a magazine. When I took over, I wanted to clean up the look of the book a little. In my research, I remember reading a lot of angry letters in other magazines that took them to task for the smallest of changes. I’m thankful that this was basically pre-internet being useful for much or I’d have probably been too scared to make my changes. Because, believe it or not, people don’t like it when you mess with their stuff.

And I really do mean their stuff. People get invested in their favorite brands and products. And the bourbon-world is no exception. The popular outcry that forced Maker’s Mark to reverse an unpopular business decision a few years ago is proof of how much people love their chosen bourbon.

Last summer well-loved bourbon brand Four Roses announced a change of a different sort. Beloved Master Distiller Jim Rutledge was retiring. And while there was honest congratulations for him on a well-deserved retirement, there was also an underlying nervousness. Would the bourbon change? Would the quality decrease? Would they put out a flavored bourbon now?

And while it will take some time to find the answers to the first couple of nervous questions, newly minted Master Distiller Brent Elliott got a round of applause when he announced to a September crowd that the answer to that last question was a resounding no.

But wait, I guess there actually is a way to get a hint of the hands, or at least the palate, that now puts its stamp on Four Roses. And that is to grab a gift shop single barrel selection chosen by him. Which is what I did last September when I visited. Along with the a bottle of one of Mr. Rutledge’s last selections (which I will be sitting on for a bit), I grabbed one of the first two selections by Mr. Elliott for the gift shop. I figure it should be a fair assessment of what he thought was good.

Four Roses Gift Shop Selection

Purchase Info: Roughly $76 after tax for a 750mL at the Four Roses Gift Shop

Details: OBSF, 11 years 4 months old, Chosen by Master Distiller Brent Elliott, Bottled September 2015, 51.2% ABV, Warehouse GW, Barrel 81-1F

Nose: Sweet fruitiness, cinnamon, mint, brown sugar. After some time in the glass rich oaky notes of tobacco and leather are revealed.

Mouth: The mouth leads with a spicy cool tingle before resolving into oak, cloves, eucalyptus, honey and pears.

Finish: The finish is long with a warmth that settles in the chest and a minty coolness in the mouth. Pears and eucalyptus linger.

Thoughts: If I had any fears that the quality of the barrel selections would drop off at the gift shop once Mr Rutledge wasn’t doing the choosing, those fears are laid to rest. While this is certainly different than any of the other picks I’ve gotten there in the past, it is just as tasty. Love this one.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, 2015 Release

September 22, 2015 Eric Burke

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, 2015 signed by both Master Distiller Brent Elliot and Master Distiller Emeritus Jim Rutledge.

Every year, the bottle that I most want to find is the Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. Like all limited edition releases, this used to be no problem to find. I was still buying the 2009 Mariage in 2011. In fact, I kinda wished that this particular release would become a little more popular because we weren’t getting the intervening years on the shelf due to 2009 not selling.

Oh did I ever get my wish.

But the universe, like it often does in these situations, overcorrected. Now, the only way I can be assured of getting a bottle of this is to be at the distillery early on release day. Luckily for me, release day seems to line up with BourbonFest these days. Which means I get to pretend that the festival is the real reason I go to Kentucky in September instead of a single bottle of whiskey.

But this year is even more special. Jim Rutledge, Master Distiller of Four Roses has just retired taking the title Master Distiller Emeritus. This is his last Limited Small Batch. This was one I knew that I would have to try.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, 2015

Purchase info: $120 for 750mL. Four Roses Distillery Gift Shop, Lawrenceburg, KY.

Details: 54.3% ABV. A mix of 16 year old OBSK, 15 year old OESK, 14 year old OESK and 11 year old OBSV. Bottle number 8722 of 12672.

Nose: This is one of those bourbons that I could nose all night. There is a big hit of oak right off the bat, followed by brown sugar, apples, cherries and baking spices. Beautiful!

Mouth: First impressions: warm, sweet, spicy and comforting. Like a warm blanket for your mouth. Leather, allspice, clove, brown sugar and cherry.

Finish: Long and warming. More leather and cherry.

Thoughts: 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!

If this were my last $100 to spend on Bourbon

May 12, 2015 Eric Burke

Occasionally life throws you a curveball. Last week I was laid off from my job. Don’t feel too bad for me though. I’d been thinking of trying my hand at going freelance for a while anyway. Now, I get the chance.

One downside of suddenly finding yourself self-employed is that I will have to watch my bourbon spending for a while until I know for sure how things are going to go. With that in mind, I was reminded of a topic that a lot of folks were writing about the last couple weeks. Some as part of a greater project, some on their own. As in my current work situation, I am going it alone.

Now a regular month sees me spend about $100 on whiskey for the blog. I’d put that budget in place long ago to keep me in line. So deciding what to do with $100 is a common problem. Most months I’d look for something new, interesting or something I hadn’t gotten around to reviewing yet. I pair that with a favorite value pick for “everyday.” Something like Wild Turkey 101 or Four Roses Yellow.

But inspired by current circumstances, what if it were my last $100 to spend on bourbon? Now that is an interesting twist. You could go many ways. You could either go out with a bang and blow it all on one bottle. Something big and rare. But you might have that money in your pocket for a while before you found something suitable. Or you could go the other way and just load up on value bourbons. Things like Old Grand-Dad and Evan Williams Bondeds. Things that cost around $20 for a liter. Of course you could go deep down into a hole that resembles the Bottom Shelf Brackets but even I only do that for the clicks.

But I do have some favorites and if it were my last $100 to spend on bourbon, I know that I couldn’t pass those up.

The first is Wild Turkey Rare Breed. This was the first barrel proof bourbon I had and it is still one of my favorites. I love the deep rich bourbon flavors it brings to the table. And though it can be a little hot, a cube of ice tames it nicely. My wife and I love this one so much I didn’t even get in trouble for getting it for her for Valentine’s Day one year. At my favorite whiskey store this is $36.98 as I type this.

My other favorite regular release bourbon I would need to get with my last $100 would have to be Four Roses Single Barrel. I’m on a budget so none of the Barrel Proof private selections this time. But that isn’t a hardship. The normal Single Barrel has been a favorite since my first visit to the Four Roses distillery way back when their gift shop was the size of a large closet. (And one that it seems I’ve never actually reviewed even though I’ve reviewed a lot of Four Roses. Going to need to file that away…) It just tastes the way I want bourbon to taste and it is consistently good. My favorite whiskey store is selling it for $42.98 right now.

So that brings me to $79.96. And since I never include tax in my budget (just ask my accountant wife how much that bugs her) that leaves me with $20.04 left to spend. I’m afraid that I’m going to have to make a value play here. Probably a liter to carry me through as long as possible. And after looking at my favorite whiskey store I see that Elijah Craig 12, Fighting Cock, Old Grand-Dad Bonded and Bulleit are all under $20. And they would all be good choices. But since I want a liter, I also see that Evan Williams Bonded is only $17.98. This one almost won my most recent Bottom Shelf Bracket so I’m going to go with that.

All I can say is thank goodness this isn’t my last $100 to spend on bourbon, but if it was, I think these would make good choices. And no, Ace did not sponsor this post, but they are my favorite whiskey store (and their prices are available online).

What the Hell? (An exploration of the Craigslist secondary market)

March 3, 2015 Eric Burke

Want a laugh? Go troll Craigslist looking for bourbon. You will find legitimate collectable items of both the liquid and memorabilia types. But mixed in among the legit collectables are those that people only wish were collectable. Folks looking to make a buck (or hundred) by preying on the unsuspecting and uninformed.

A while back, I solicited people on twitter to send me some of their favorites. What follows are the ones I liked best out those submissions. Thanks to all who participated.

St. Petersburg

Let's start with something that really is hard to find, But seriously? This is over a 300% markup. Glad to have paid gift shop prices for mine.

That's a little better. Only a 200% markup (roughly). It must be on sale though. I mean "Ther prise is Final !" after all.

"It may not have the same demand as (That which will not be named) but that won't stop me from charging the same price as it."

I was starting to worry that this guy wouldn't be able to feed his family after the last two which were listed at only a 200% markup. But here we are, back to 400% or so. whew!

Chicago/Illinois

I like the bourbon...but damn.

In case you were curious, you shouldn't drink this $100 bourbon. It's for display only.

Apparently if you leave the city, the price drops. Those poor suckers in Champaign/Urbana. (shakes head) But if you want tasting notes with your gouging, this is your guy.

Missouri

$125 for a liter of "Poor Man's Pappy." Apparently the definition of poor is different in Missouri. Having traveled through much of it, I wouldn't have guessed that.

Dallas

It's Booker's! with keywords of Buffalo Trace, Angel's Envy and (That which will not be named).

New York

It's impossible to find as shown by all the Weller 12 listings we've found. Though by this point in the list, this asking price feels almost...reasonable.

Damn! Man! At least leave the store parking lot before you sell that collectible bit of HAZMAT!

Minneapolis

Can't leave my home town out, can I?

Feel like trading your Booker's 25th, Four Roses Limiteds, or Buffalo Trace Antique Collections for a bit of Old Weller Antique 107 proof? Yeah, me neither.

"The value is in the collectable (sic) container, its label, not contents inside." Finally one I agree with. The stuff inside is terrible. Though if you want, the container that bad I'll give you mine. I'll even throw in the last quarter bottle or so for good measure

Alaska

Nothing seems shady here. $75-$100 for an ounce and a half of liquid in an unmarked bottle? Or I can get all 12 and save $100!?! Where do I sign up?

Louisville

And before you think it's just folks who don't know bourbon, here's one from the heart of Bourbon Country.

I just want to know how much he's charging for that collectible mason jar filled with a "representation of a 50/50 mixture that has mingled for two weeks" in a mason jar. I mean, I'd also imagine it'd be delicious (if it were intended for consumption).

Good bourbon at a great value: Four Roses Yellow Label

December 2, 2014 Eric Burke

My wife and I are finally reaching the end of all the Four Roses Single Barrels we bought last year. And we’ve had a good run with them. We did comparisons. We played with blending, even going so far as to try to approximate our own Yellow Label at cask strength. It was a resounding success. That was a great Christmas present we gave ourselves.

It was also over five hundred and fifty dollars. For many people, myself included, this is not a price point you look at lightly. You don’t regularly just walk up, plunk down roughly six hundred dollars and walk away with bourbon. If you do, that’s cool. But, I don’t understand you.

Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up dirt poor in a trailer park that causes me to be always on the lookout for a deal. I’m not cheap, I’ll splurge just like most people. But I want it to be “worth it.” I like value. And finishing that last bit of last year’s splurge got me to thinking about the fact one of the things that drew me to Four Roses in the first place was their entry priced bourbon. The one normally referred to as Yellow Label. And coincidentally one of the best values in bourbon.

Four Roses Yellow Label

Purchase info: $15.99 for a 750 mL at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN

Details: 40% ABV

Nose: Initially: fresh green pea pods. After sitting a bit: delicate floral notes. hints of bubble gum and caramel.

Mouth: Soft in the mouth. Juicyfruit gum, mint, vanilla, ginger and underneath it all is a floral hint of that pea pod from the nose.

Finish: Warm but gentle with a lingering sweetness.

Thoughts: Four Roses likes to tout their bourbon as mellow and this certainly lives up to that billing. Gentle and sweet, this is a conversation bourbon. Meaning that it is a bourbon to have during a conversation, not one that starts one. It’s there for when you want to concentrate on the person you are conversing with, not the bourbon in your glass. I like it a lot and for less than $20 per bottle, it’s a great value.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2014

September 30, 2014 Eric Burke

I used to be a “try-every-bourbon-you-can” sort of guy. I’d buy one of everything on the shelf over the course of a year. I’d long for those bottles that were featured on the blogs, but that I didn’t get to try. I traded samples. I waited in lines. I searched stores (sometimes going from one to another). I attended events. Over time, I tried a lot of bourbon that way.

But as I settled into my bourbon journey for the long-haul, I stopped trying so hard to get the “next big thing.” I still attend events, but I do it more to talk with fellow bourbon lovers than I do to taste what’s in the glass (though that is a nice bonus). But I don’t try very hard to get most of the “Limited Edition” bourbons that come out each fall. Pappy is too expensive, plus I generally don’t prefer wheated bourbons. Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection is too much effort to find for a lazy guy like me. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is one I like to get, but apparently doesn’t show up at the stores I frequent. So like I said I don’t try very hard to get these.

Well, except for one: the Four Roses autumn release of the Limited Edition Small Batch.

I first ran across this at a tasting a local liquor store chain was having. Minnesota was in the midst of a government shut-down so the store lined up a few more types of bourbon than they might normally have served. We tasted through the Jefferson’s bourbon line, including the last of the 17 year and the first of the 18 year bourbons. We tasted a few different types of Prichard’s including the Tennesee whiskey and the double barreled bourbon. But for me, the highlight of the night was tasting through the Four Roses line. Even then, I knew that I loved four Roses. We had the Yellow Label, the Small Batch, the Single Barrel and a “special one” that turned out to be the 2009 Mariage bourbon (the previous name of the Limited Edition Small Batch). I was blown away by it. So much so that once my wife was diagnosed with cancer in late 2011, I scoured the Twin Cities looking for another bottle. I wanted that bottle very much and wasn’t going to settle, even passing up an offer of Pappy instead from one retailer after I told him why I was looking so hard. I eventually did get it and it was that bottle we celebrated her first diagnosis of there being no sign of cancer left in her body. I still have a few samples put away for the 5 year mark.

Ever since then, I’ve tried to pick up at least one bottle per year. In 2012, I happend to be at the gift shop the day it was put out, but had to order a second bottle when the first one ran out. Last year my local retailers were unable to get me one, but a friend came through and shipped me one from another state. Both of those were released to rave reviews and cries of “best-ever!” from reviewers who didn’t have to purchase a bottle in order to taste it. (That isn’t sour grapes, I just choose to only review things I actually purchase.)

This year, the reviews were not quite so glowing. I didn’t read a single “best-ever” from the pre-release crowd. I read a lot of things similar to “it would be hard to follow up those last two years.” But, I’m a Four Roses fan-boy and when my wife and I happened to be in Kentucky for the release again, I knew we needed to get our hands on at least one bottle. Luck was with us though and we each snagged one.

So how was it?

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2014

Purchase Info: $110 at the distillery Gift Shop.

Details: 55.9% ABV. Bottle 9,235 of 12,516

Nose: Candied orange peal, tobacco, allspice and maple.

Mouth: Light in the mouth. There’s a nice tingle at the front and sides of the mouth. Pears, honey and clove dominate.

Finish: Gentle spice with a lingering sweetness and warmth.

Thoughts: This is a very good whiskey and I like it a lot. It’s extremely drinkable, even at over 55% ABV. But at $110, when I compare it to a very good Four Roses Single Barrel retailer selection that you can find for less than $65, I don’t know that it is $45 better. If you find it and find yourself flush with cash, pick it up. If you are a fan-boy like me, pick it up. But if you can’t get it, don’t feel too bad about it, grab a good Four Roses Single Barrel private selection to enjoy instead.