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