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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2012


Many lovers of Four Roses bourbon concentrate on their single barrel offerings, each of which highlights one of the distillery's famed ten recipes (made up of five yeasts and two different mashbills). While it's fun to sample the different recipes, Four Roses also blends them for their other bottlings. The Four Roses Small Batch is a blend of four different bourbons. Each year, Four Roses also releases a Limited Edition Small Batch, a marriage of four bourbons bottled at barrel strength.

This year's Limited Edition Small Batch is a blend of the following four bourbons:
17 year old OBSV, 11 year old OBSV, 12 year old OBSK and 12 year old OESK. This vatting combines three different ages, two different yeasts (V and K) and both of the mashbills: the B mashbill is 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. and the E mashbill is 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley.


Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2012, 55.7% abv ($87)

The nose on this is really wonderful with all kinds of things going on. A first whiff reveals fresh cherries, followed by a nice dose of briny rye spice, tobacco and wood notes. The palate carries the same complexity. The briny rye spice is there but also a sort of light perfume note that intensifies the tobacco from the nose. The tobacco and rye spice really stand out on the finish which is quite lengthy and delicious. Water brings out some anise notes and some acid that add to the picture.

This is really fantastic stuff. It's packed with flavor and has a complexity that shows new dimensions with every sip. This may be the best new bourbon I've had all year. It's certainly competitive with the annual offerings from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and Pappy Van Winkle, but unlike those, there appears to be some Four Roses Small Batch Limited still on the shelves. If you see it, grab it.





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17 comments:

  1. AaronWFOctober 31, 2012 at 10:33 AM

    Still on the shelves? This hasn't even hit Chicago yet. I know because I've been eagerly calling my local spot every day for the last few weeks (ok, slight exaggeration). Four Roses is still largely under the radar around here - plenty of the 2011 LE Small Batch can still be found.

    Sku, anybody ever tell you that you're too hard on whiskey? It's like you don't even like to drink the stuff...

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  2. AnonymousOctober 31, 2012 at 10:45 AM

    There's still a ton of it around KY. The big stores have received two shipments now. I've done my part to take it off of heir hands. Hell, I can still find limiteds from nearly every year. Don't get it.

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  3. AnonymousOctober 31, 2012 at 2:12 PM

    Recently I saw a 2009 bottle which at the time was called "Marriage". Is this bottle worth taking off the shelf?

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  4. AnonymousOctober 31, 2012 at 2:27 PM

    @Anonymous
    http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2009/04/17/review-new-four-roses-single-barrel-2009-vintage/

    ReplyDelete
  5. skuOctober 31, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    Anon at 2;12, Marriage was a special release from a few years ago. I believe it was a two recipe blend. I never tried it.

    Anon AT 2:27,the link you provided is to the single barrel limited edition, which is different from the Marriage.

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  6. MattOctober 31, 2012 at 6:10 PM

    Hey Sku,

    I've been debating trying to grab some of this for a while now, and your review has put me over the top. But I'm a little confused by the image you posted.
    The Party Source (my local liquor store, and sadly sold out of it now) has been showing a different bottle: www.thepartysource.com/express/item.php?id=32021. Do you know if they're using two different bottles for this?

    Many thanks!

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  7. David DOctober 31, 2012 at 8:15 PM

    Matt

    That's the "single barrel" from 2012, not the "small batch." That's an entirely different whiskey.

    You can probably still find the small batch. We got an additional 60 bottles today, so I would ask the guys at the PS.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @alligatorcharNovember 1, 2012 at 6:11 AM

    Sadly, I've not seen the 2012 edition of the SmB LE yet. Didn't actually find the shelves with a 2011 either. The 2010 version was very good and I've got a bottle left. I also ran into a nice cache of the 2009 (Mariage) recently which I've collected but not popped yet.

    I'll be at the Four Roses gift shop next week. Maybe they'll have some treasures.

    ReplyDelete
  9. MattNovember 1, 2012 at 7:31 AM

    David D, thanks for clearing that up -- I realize I have been reading about both and thinking they were a single product -- and if your last name is Driscoll, that includes the piece on your blog about the Small Batch a couple weeks ago.

    Thanks again,

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  10. skuNovember 1, 2012 at 9:53 AM

    Matt, David D (who is indeed the David Driscoll from K&L) is correct. There is an annual limited edition single barrel and well as an annual small batch, though the single barrel usually is released earlier (I have yet to try this year's single barrel limited edition release).

    ReplyDelete
  11. Josh FeldmanNovember 3, 2012 at 5:05 PM

    Thanks for the excellent review of the Small Batch LE for this year. I usually miss this - and it's clearly a mistake. Matt - don't hesitate getting a bottle of the 2012 Four Roses LE SB either - it's excellent. Man, Four Roses has really been putting out excellent bourbons!

    ReplyDelete
  12. BrentNovember 6, 2012 at 7:52 AM

    Thanks for the review. I was in a store yesterday and it was a four roses overload. I tried to choose from 2012 single barrel, 2011 single barrel, 120th, 40th anniv (17 year), 2011 LE small batch. I was leaning towards the 40th anniv, especially with a price of $70 for a 17yr bourbon, but I'm still trying to decide.

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  13. AnonymousNovember 15, 2012 at 4:58 PM

    I was fortunate enought to snag some SB LE 2012 at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival a couple of months back... I haven't seen it around here in Wisconsin and don't expect to. I'm hoarding several bottles of the 2010 edition, as well; that stuff was great (but the 2012 blows it out of the water). The 2011 I didn't like so much, and the first iteration of the concept, the 2009 "Mariage" (sic) was... just OK. For those on the fence about the single barrel limited edition for 2012, I say take the plunge. It is exceptional-- so smooth, with a velvety mouth-feel. You would never believe it was barrel-strength. It doesn't taste as high-proof as it really is.

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  14. @alligatorcharNovember 17, 2012 at 6:36 AM

    I had a pour of the FR SmB LE 12 ($20) heads up with PVW23 ($30) last week in Louisville. Both were stunning. The FR SmB LE 10 was truly terrific. Never had the 11. Just got lucky and located a dozen bottles of the 12. About half will go to friends.

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  15. alligatorcharDecember 29, 2012 at 11:17 PM

    So last month I tried to buy the 2012 small batch and ran into a case of the 2011. Then last week a few cases of the 2012 made it to Arizona. Months after most other states. Fortunately I got a hold of some. Looking forward to trying it after my sinuses recover. I've got an open bottle of Mariage 2009 too so I'll get to go heads up.

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  16. alligatorcharDecember 29, 2012 at 11:20 PM

    Just to clear up my 11/17 post. I thought I had secured the 2012 but when the retailer got it from distribution it was the 2011. Now if I could only luck into the 2008.

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  17. AnonymousSeptember 3, 2013 at 3:15 PM

    Gave up looking for this after about 9 months of hunting. Out on a limb, i was visiting a store last week and a liquor store employee called the distributor to check for me. He had never heard of it and i would have bet big bucks that he would come back with nothing or the basic bottling. 5 minutes later, he comes back and says the distributor could have 3 bottles delivered tomorrow morning. Still not really believing it, I should sure bring them on in! Low and behold, the next day I got the call to pick them up and damned if they weren't the 2012 FRSmB LE! Even gave me the case discount of $70/each. Seriously, are these still sitting in distributor warehouses?!? Interesting to they were very low consecutive bottle #'s - low 200's. breaking one open soon!

    ReplyDelete