American Whiskey Review #86: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch (2019 Release)

Distillery: Four Roses

Region: Kentucky

Age: NAS. Blend of 21-Year OBSV, 15-Year OESK, 15-Year OESV, 11-Year OESV

ABV: 56.3% Cask Strength

Color: 1.6, Mahogany/Henna Notes.

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Nose: (according to the wife) Caramel is the main note with a lot of oak. There’s a bit of cherry and a bit of black pepper.

Palate: Even at full strength, it’s quite drinkable. It’s an interesting mix of creamy and peppery. There are notes of cherry cordial as well as a freshly baked cherry pie that’s been loaded up on baking spices. A tart bit of orange comes in late on as well as an almost Dr. Pepper like note. With water, the spices vanish and it becomes incredibly creamy with a rich vanilla and caramel. It’s almost like drinking an alcoholic caramel macchiato.

Finish: Shorter than I expected. You get more of the cherry pie filling, a bit of tart orange, and soda water.

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Conclusion: If you ever needed to showcase the effects of a little bit of water on a whisky, this might be the one to try it with. Straight out of the bottle, it is this delicious mix of cherry and spices. The fresh baked cherry pie note is quite vivid, especially with all of the baking spice notes that pop in. With a bit of water, it’s almost like a curtain is lifted and you’re suddenly given something completely transformed. The rich vanilla and caramel that come through is fantastic. It’s a ton of fun from start to finish and quite delicious to boot. Would I buy a bottle? At MSRP, absolutely.

Final Score: 86.

American Whiskey Review #86, Bourbon Review #64, Whisky Network Review #374

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.