More to Enjoy
Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch 2023
-
Distiller:
Four Roses
-
Bottler:
Four Roses
-
ABV:
54%
-
Age:
NAS
-
Price:
$$$$$
-
Intro:
Distilled by Four Roses and a blend of four different recipes/ages, this is the 2023 Limited Edition small batch release from Four Roses. This behemoth combines 12-year-old OESV (35%), 14-year-old OESK (40%), 16-year-old OESV (20%) and finally, an unprecedented 25-year-old OBSV (5%). Bottled at 56% ABV, this will be available this fall to bourbon enthusiasts at an MSRP of $199.99. Let's dive in.
-
Nose:
First on the nose is big and bright fruits — oddly fruity and welcome all the same. I expected a blast of oak but instead was greeted with cream, honey, raspberries, strawberries, some blackberry and a waft of waffle cone, graham cracker and some toffee.
-
Taste:
The palate is rich and well-layered. It's not a syrupy, jammy mouthfeel but full of fruit and honey — and the oak is starting to seep in. That 25-year component was bound to be found somewhere! I'm impressed at how easy this is to drink. It coats the palate nicely, full of sweet oak, caramels and creamy sweetness, full of strawberry and blackberry, ginger and more shortbread and waffle cone. Really decadent and nuanced, I'm impressed that the ages all play so well together here.
-
Finish:
Moderate finish — perhaps the biggest surprise of the pour. Some years bring punchy bruisers that hang on for eons, but this fruit salad and crème brûlée symphony sits for a bit and then scurries off, leaving room for another sip. The fruit and oak continue to intertwine nicely, bringing pears, blackberry and a hint of cherry and orange before the finish wraps up.
-
Overall:
Overall, this is a blending masterpiece by Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot. I'm impressed at how much is going on, how layered and nuanced and complex it is. This isn't a pour that knocks you over with brutal, raw flavor. There are certainly past releases in this series that have focused on being a "big" bourbon, but this release is all about combining fruits and their backing flavors to create a unique, fruit-driven pour, and it knocks it out of the park.
-
Score:
9
-
Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
- Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources