Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - 70cl - 45% ABV - Award-Winning Smooth and Mellow Bourbon Whisky - Higher Rye Content Than Most Bourbon's

Product Information

While Yellow Label is bottled at 80 proof and contains all 10 recipes that Four Roses produces, Small Batch contains only 4 recipes: OBSK, OESK, OBSO and OESO. With its first release in 2017, Four Roses Small Batch Select is the latest offering from the Lawrenceburg distillery. This whiskey is a blend of six of Four Roses’ ten distinct recipes, chosen by Master Distiller Brent Elliot. Four Roses Small Batch is extremely competent at what it’s designed to do at this price point. I was imagining that at only 90 proof that most flavors would get washed away. But my tongue still had an easy time distinguishing each note. There are more Four Roses SmBLE bottles being released – and more people looking to find one – than ever before

Sure enough, this shares enough in common with the various 90 proof MGP bourbons on the market that I could draw some parallels (of note: MGP bourbon uses the “V” yeast strain that Four Roses uses). We wanted to add something to our lineup that brings that pure experience you get with a non-chill filtered Bourbon, while also showcasing some of our recipes and flavors that aren’t as forward facing in our other existing bottles. Small Batch: A subjective term signaling a bourbon made using a select number of barrels or recipes in a blended bottling.I won’t get into the whole 10 recipe spiel here. If you’re a Four Roses fan, you already know all about them. You probably even have a favorite. But if you’re new to bourbon, my advice to you is to find a way to taste each one (trading for samples is a good start) so you’ll know which ones you like. The Single Barrel is by nature, less complex due to it’s single recipe, single cask maturation. But as far a single-barrel bourbons go, this has to be one of the best we’ve tried. With a lengthy ageing period of eight years, it offers bold flavours of toffee, dried cherries, and oak.If you’re looking to try your first single-barrel bourbon, this would be a magnificent entry to the category. As one of the oldest single-barrel bourbons on the market, this would make an excellent foray into this style of American whiskey. Four Roses use these three ingredients, but use two different mashbill recipes instead of just one. Each recipe uses different ratios of corn, rye and malted barley. For ease, these are called Mashbill E and Mashbill B. See below. That’s why Small Batch should be a required pour for any new whiskey drinker looking to go deeper and farther into their journey with bourbon. –> Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Rating Breakdown

The Small Batch Select is the premium choice for an extraordinary culinary experience. This liquor offers a harmonious blend of spicy rye, sweet caramel and powerful oak notes that make it incredibly versatile. Serve with grilled steak or smoked salmon to savour its full-bodied flavour; the sweetness in this bourbon will mirror the smokiness of both meats while adding contrast from its spicier rye undertones. Four Roses Small Batch blends barrels of OBSO, OBSK, OESO and OESK together into a rich and velvety liquid that, like everything else Four Roses puts out, is magnificent. If you’re not sure what all of those esoteric letters mean visit Four Roses to see all 10 bourbon recipes Four Roses uses. Though all you really need to know is that this is a truly delicious blend of Four Roses characteristics and that it being a small batch blend, can change a bit from bottling to bottling over the years. Not nearly as much as the single barrel bourbons do, but if you keep drinking them for long enough (or if you keep notes… or a blog) you’ll probably notice some variation. If you’re new to whisky (or bourbon) this section explains the unique aspect of Four Roses’ approach to making their spirits. Again the caramel and rye are upfront and in charge, but this time it’s leather, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, corn and some oak keeping them company on this flavor road trip.Four Roses Small Batch is made with an average of 250 barrels per batch with a combination of four recipes (two different mashbills with two different yeasts in each). The bourbons blended are anywhere from 6-8 years old.

Briefly, if you’re new to Four Roses, it’s worth knowing about their 10 unique bourbon recipes. Very simply, they use 2 signature mash bill ratios which are used with 5 different yeast strains. This produces their 10 bourbon recipes which are used to concoct their whiskies. Nose: Holy moly, this dram smells super-old. The specs say that the 25 year old barrels only make up 5% of the total blend, but it smells more like 50%. Bountiful aromas of antiqued wood, orange-scented Pledge wood cleaner and leather upholstery drip with maturity. Spice! Oak, complex dark sweets, dried dark fruit, leather, nuts, vanilla and bits of alkaline bitterness/metallic notes.Great balanced, medium body and mostly a smooth ride with only a minor rough patch or two as it cruises over the palate. Wheated: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of wheat (the main grain remains corn). This tends to produce a softer, less spicy whiskey. The Small Batch Select is part of Four Roses’ permanent product line. With a great price and steady availability, it’d make an excellent gift for any occasion. Containing a unique blend of six bourbon recipes, it would make a great addition to any whisky collection. Comparing Four Roses Single Barrel vs Four Roses Small Batch Select

During the 1950s, Seagram’s made a strategic decision to end the distribution of Four Roses whiskey in the United States due to diminishing interest in this type of spirit. Surprisingly enough, despite waning popularity domestically – other countries such as Japan continued strong demand for Four Roses bourbon. Everything about this bourbon is amazing. Every part of it exceeded the expectations I had coming into it. It is one of the best Four Roses Small Batch Limited Editions I’ve had from 2016 to present day and I’m hearing many other reviewers feel the same way too. How a distillery defines small batch is less important than how the whiskey tastes. In the case of the Four Roses Small Batch it tastes great just like the rest of their products. Overall it’s a tremendously tasty and reliable release from a distillery that can seemingly do no wrong right now. Rich with caramel and rye the combination of sweet and spicy is enchanting and delectable.With its extraordinary success, this whiskey has earned the respect and admiration of whisky connoisseurs and critics everywhere. In 2017 it was declared as “Best in Class” by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, followed by 2018’s esteemed honor of receiving the “Chairman’s Trophy” at that same event. Furthermore, it scored a remarkable 91 points from Beverage Testing Institute along with being named one of Whiskey Advocate’s Best Bourbons for 2018! I have been compiling data on every release of Small Batch Limited Edition to see if I can find any trends. Here’s an interesting one: Among the batches of recipes each release is made up of, OESK has been used most frequently (a total of 16 times) while OBSO has never been used. Proof: The amount of alcohol in the whiskey, displayed as double that of the alcohol percentage. E.g., bourbon containing 50 percent alcohol is labeled as 100 proof.