Must Buy

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2015 Release
54.3%ABV
$100
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon is timed with the retirement of Master Distiller Jim Rutledge and the appointment of Brent Elliot to the post.

Four Roses is the only distillery that combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to produce ten distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique characteristics. The 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch features a 16-year-old Bourbon from Four Roses’ OBSK recipe, a 15-year-old OESK, a 14-year-old OESK and an 11-year-old OBSV.

“This combination of mature bourbons is something truly special,” said Rutledge. “It’s great when you can go out on a high note, and this Bourbon delivers that.”

Bottled at barrel strength with a proof of 108.5, the 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch mingles together aromas of ripe cherry, caramel custard and fresh magnolia. Spicy cinnamon and clove flavors give way to subtle tastes of orange peel, apricot and light honey. The long, velvety finish leaves lingering hints of creamy vanilla and fresh spearmint.

“This Bourbon is a great tribute to Jim Rutledge, whom I’ve had the privilege to work with closely over the past decade. His knowledge and passion, along with the strong team at our distillery, are responsible for the high-quality Bourbon we produce every day,” said Brent Elliott, who takes the post of master distiller September 1. “I couldn’t think of a better way to toast Jim’s exceptional career.”

Four Roses will produce and distribute approximately 12,600 hand-numbered bottles of the 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, which are expected to hit retail outlets in mid-September, during National Bourbon Heritage Month.

The limited edition release also highlights a year in which Four Roses announced an expansion that will increase its aging capacity and double its distillery in size and annual production by 2020.

“It’s an exciting time of growth for Four Roses, but what’s not going to change is the attention to detail that’s put into every Bourbon we handcraft,” said Elliott.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: Ripe cherry, caramel custard, fresh magnolia
Palate: Spicy cinnamon, clove, orange peel, apricot, light honey
Finish: Long, velvety finish, lingering hints of creamy vanilla, fresh

What Gary Says:
Nose: Rich sweetness, spice, caramel, oak (more so than 2014), mincemeat pie.
Palate: Thick, robust dark fruit sweetness, toffee, more oak but nice balance; toasted orange zest.
Finish: Dries out after a bit, but not unpleasantly.
Comments: Different from the 2014 Small Batch Limited Edition; more oaky, and a bit more robust, but very nice. This one is thicker on the palate, but dries out more on the finish. Each year I wonder if this will be the year I’m disappointed with Four Roses’ fall limited edition offering (especially since the market is driving prices higher). This is not that year – I bought my bottle at the gift shop for $120, and have zero regrets.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Layers of sweet mints, caramel chews, vanilla custard, orange zest, and cloves.
Palate: Rich doesn’t begin to describe it. Cinnamon, cloves, citrus marmalade, oak staves, and poached stone fruits with a pinch of pepper around the edges.
Finish: Dry, spicy, minty, and slightly peppery.
Comments: The last Jim Rutledge Four Roses Limited Edition. It’s everything great about Four Roses. It’s not the absolute best Four Roses I’ve had but the sentimental value sends this through the roof. It’s a little drier and woodier than the best examples but the nose is the best I’ve ever sniffed from this distillery. For the uber whiskey geeks (like me) the recipes for this one are a 16 year OBSK, a 15 year OESK, a 14 year OESK, and an 11 year OBSV.
Rating: Must Buy

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2014 Release Bottle 4741 or 12516
55.9% ABV
$100
Website

What the Distillery Says:
From time to time, our Master Distiller selects a few exceptional barrels of our 10 Bourbon recipes to become Limited Edition releases. These special releases are barrel strength and non-chill filtered, so you get to savor them exactly as they come out of the barrel. We hope you look for them, find them and enjoy them. Because they’re some of the best Bourbons we’ve put in a bottle. Anytime. Ever.

If any Bourbon could present itself as both robust and refreshing, it would be this year’s Barrel Strength Limited Edition Small Batch. Created from 4 of our 10 distinct Bourbons, this bright spirit awakens the senses with light organ zest, glazed maple and fresh spearmint aromas. Delicate flavors of orange citrus and mellow honey share the moment with the uniquely aromatic taste of mild cloves. Light maple and cool mint define a finish perfectly long and smooth enough to make sure your next sip follows just in time to happily mingle with eh one before it.

The recipes: OBSK – 9 years * OBSV – 13 years * OESV – 12 years * OBSF – 11 years

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sweet spice with soft wood, floral, crème brulee with nutmeg, rye spice
Palate: Bright sweetness, caramel, cinnamon (Christmasy), subtle raisins and apples
Finish: Moderate in length; soft/moist landing
Comments: Damn nice bourbon, I’ve yet to be disappointed by a Small Batch Limited Edition and this is no exception. Each year is slightly different, and each vintage may not be right in everyone’s wheelhouse – but if you can find it at retail, this is a label I always feel safe buying without having trying.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: A monster this one is! Layers of mint, citrus, and burnt caramel come jumping out at you.
Palate: Glazed apple fritters, monkey bread, and a big walloping peppery minty smack in the mouth.
Finish: It finishes spicy and minty and then as the pepper moves to the edges of the tongue it’s all dry oak at the back. A dusting of cocoa powder covers everything.
Comments: Thank you mistress may I have another!?! This is a much more aggressive and less subtle edition for 2014. There is plenty of the Four Roses depth and finesse but it’s more a 250 pound quarterback dancing around the offensive line than a ballerina dancing around the stage.
Rating: Must Buy

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon
50% ABV
$45 to $65
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Named for the rich farmland along the Kentucky River, this 100 proof Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey honors its Bluegrass roots, defined by rich tradition and smooth bourbon.

Tasting Notes:
Seductive aromatic notes of toasted walnut, dried red fruits, spice, cocoa and marshmallow. Flavors of dark chocolate, chocolate covered almond, coffee, tobacco and dark caramel. The finish is smooth, silky, toffee sweet and honeyed.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Stepping into a rickhouse in the fall, musty oak, bits of corn and cinnamon, with a hint of licorice.
Palate: Wow . . . (my exact thought was Austin Powers “yeah baby yeah!”) Silky sweet, caramel corn balanced very nicely with spice.
Finish: Moderately lingering, pleasant.
Comments: I first tried Rock Hill Farms at a restaurant, and was quite underwhelmed – so I was expecting the same. This completely changed my opinion. Very well balanced; the bit of corn on the nose gave me pause that it might be young, but the palate was something else. Being a single barrel, there is always a risk of variability there, but I’m definitely reconsidering picking up a bottle in the future (and not only because the bottle is pretty freaking cool as well).
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Cocoa powder, hair spray, cinnamon, dried cherries, raisin’s pulled of a box of raisin bran.
Palate: Burnt caramel, more cherries, dark chocolate truffles, toffee crisps covered in white chocolate ganache.
Finish: Dry cocoa powder and bits of honeysuckle.
Comments: I realize there is only so much time to review whiskey since this isn’t a paying gig but I can’t fathom why it has taken me so long to review this. The brand is about 20 years old but as with many Sazerac brands it has been in short supply lately. I grabbed this bottle on a lark when I saw a couple tucked away at a local retailer last fall. It was $65 in Atlanta but you can get it as low as $45 if you know where to look. This is made from the #2 rye bourbon mashbill at Buffalo Trace. That’s the same one used in Elmer T Lee, Blanton’s and Hancock Reserve. This is ridiculously drinkable. I pulled it out a few days ago with the guys in the neighborhood who had never tried and we almost killed the bottle. All that was left was enough for my formal review and a sample for Gary. If I see it again I will grab another for sure. At $45 it’s a must buy but in the $60+ range it’s something you should certainly at least try.
Rating: Must Buy/Must Try