Anyone who knows me knows that Four Roses is my favorite distillery. When I say that, it has less to do with the selection of core products and more to do with the core profile, which itself can be highly variable. That last part is almost exclusively uncovered through their single barrel barrel strength picks, each coming from one of their 10 (soon to be 20) recipes. There’s another side to the coin with pricing and availability coming into play, but we can delve into that at a later time. Today, I’m finally covering a release from the distillery’s annual line.

These Small Batch Limited Edition bottles are a slog to find locally. So much so that I’ve only seen one, and the store was charging more than what some BTAC bottles go for on secondary. Needless to say that I didn’t go that route. I’ve thankfully since managed to come into a couple samples of Four Roses Small Batch LE followed by three bottles. The one I’m specifically looking at today comes from the highly regarded 2019 batch, comprised of a four-bourbon blend utilizing three recipes, which are as follows (percentages according to Debonair Gentleman):

• 21-year OBSV (8%)
• 15-year OESK (25%)
• 15-year OESV (40%)
• 11-year OESV (27%)

For those who enjoy numbers, this would put the effective age of the 2019 Small Batch LE at 14.4 years. These releases come non-chill filtered, with the 2019’s bottling strength clocking in at 56.3% ABV with a retail price of around $150.

Nose: Cinnamon Roll, Peach Cobbler, Tobacco, Clove

Creamy, Lush, Festive

Palate: Peaches & Cream, Tobacco Leaf, Cinnamon Butter, Blueberry Cobbler

Layered, Balanced, Complex

Finish: Clove, Mint, Oak, Vanilla

Earthy, Moderate, Warm

A big reason I love Four Roses is because their whiskey showcases such a unique variety of notes, from fruits to herbs and baking spices along with differing styles of earthiness. The Limited Edition Small Batch releases are the perfect opportunities for the distillery to find new, inventive ways to showcase their recipes when they hit peak maturity, and the 2019 version is considered by many to be a peak example of a series that already achieves great heights.

This is a delightful dram from nose to finish. It’s loaded with decadent notes that wonderfully showcase the balance of each recipe with damn-near perfect maturity. I’m especially fond of the lavish oak and dessert notes on the nose and upfront palate, which are nicely contrasted with more earth, spice, and hints of fresh herbs. The 2019 iteration of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is a stunner; a complete package that effectively checks every box you’d have open for a release of this nature. I may not be fortunate enough to own a bottle, but I’m grateful to have enjoyed and spent some time with a sample.