In some ways, Four Roses is sort of an unsung hero of Kentucky bourbon—its flagship whiskey is an affordable blend of the distillery’s 10 different recipes that also happens to be of very high quality. But once a year, the distillery gets in on the unicorn whiskey action as well, releasing its annual Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon. The details of this year’s expression were announced today, and we got an early taste.
According to master distiller Brent Elliott, he always tries to come up with something different for each LE Small Batch release. On a Zoom call this week, he said that this year’s expression is sort of a return to the classic Four Roses flavor profile, albeit with some much older whiskey in the blend, that relies on two recipes that are the core identity of the brand—OBSV and OESV. For those who are unfamiliar, Four Roses uses two different mashbills and five different yeast strains to produce its whiskey, yielding the 10 different recipes mentioned earlier. Each recipe is indicated by a code—O means the Four Roses distillery; B or E indicates the mashbill (B is 35 percent rye, E is 20 percent rye); S means straight whiskey; and the last letter specifies the yeast strain, each of which brings a different flavor profile to the whiskey.
The breakdown for the 2025 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, the 18th to date, is as follows—38 percent OBSV aged for 13 years, 35 percent OESV aged for 13 years, 17 percent OBSK aged for 13 years, and 10 percent OESV aged for 19 years. The final blend was bottled non-chill filtered at 109 proof. “When blending this year’s release, I was drawn to the 13-year-old V batches that showcase pronounced delicate fruit and sweet barrel tones,” said Elliott in a statement. “Although these barrels can really shine on their own, the OBSK brought in a complexity that I think people will really enjoy. The addition of the 19-year-old OBSV also adds another layer of depth and aged character that rounds out the blend beautifully.”
This is indeed a deep and complex bourbon. One the nose, you’ll find aromas of new leather, citrus, and some oak dust. That’s followed by salted caramel, vanilla custard, pomegranate, pepper, orange, cherry, milk chocolate, maple, and cinnamon on the palate, with a warm and lingering finish. Just 16,854 bottles are being released with an SRP of $249, but expect to pay much more than that once they hit the secondary market. If you’d like to try to get a bottle, Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is available starting today at select retailers and via the distillery’s bottle drawing, which runs through August 24. Winners will be selected at random and can pick up their bottle at the Distillery Visitor Center in Lawrenceburg, KY.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker