Here we have the annual limited edition release from my favorite distillery, Four Roses. Past releases of this have been excellent and some like the 2013 and 2015 are up there with my all time favorites. In 2017 we were lucky in that we saw two limited edition small batches, the previous one being the Al Young 50th Anniversary. While I thought it was good, it had some faults that made it hard to swallow the $150 price tag considering there are some private selection single barrels that I've enjoyed more that will run you about 1/3 of the cost. And that's been my only real complaint about the limited edition products from Four Roses lately — it wasn't too long ago that you didn't pay much of a premium for them but times have most certainly changed.
The blend for this release is
- 15 year OESK
- 13 year OESK
- 12 year OESV
I'm a huge fan of all those recipes so I am going in with high hopes here.
No Age Statement; 54% ABV; $125; Bottle 6742 of 10896
Nose: Sweet caramel, soft spice, red fruits/berries, and hefty dose of oak. Smells like classic, well aged Four Roses.
Taste: All of the same from the nose. Lots of lush caramel and other oak derived sweets up front, hefty dose of oak in the middle, and a wave of spicy red berries and slightly port wine like notes in the finish. As the red fruit notes recede, the spice starts to come on in the form of dry baking spice and/or cinnamon powder.
Thoughts: Classic, no bullshit, excellent Four Roses. I've loved this bottle from the moment I've opened and in a lot of ways it reminds me of the 2015 LE small batch which is up there with the best of the best for me. Having just recently tried them side by side on a recent trip to Four Roses while picking out barrels with a preferred local store, it does fall a little short of that one. Comparison is the thief of joy though so in this moment, this is a truly remarkable bourbon that showcases a distinctive profile that only Four Roses can deliver — a sweet, woody, spicy, red fruit forward bourbon.
It's really hard for me to keep up with all of the limited edition releases these days — I completely missed out on any of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and probably 75% of the other taterbait releases but this is the best whiskey I've had from 2017 and I am completely content with that.
Rating: A- / A
Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.
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ReplyDeleteThe market for allocated bourbon is really tough all across the country and probably worse in Nashville than some other markets from what I gather. Your chances of finding something like this Four Roses just by cold calling or walking into stores are slim to none. Best advice I can give you to build a relationship with a local store. Go in often, try to get to know the spirits manager or owner. Stay away from the biggest stores - though they might get the best allocation, they probably already have a lot of customers clamoring for the bottles you want. Good luck.
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