Four Roses 125th Anniversary Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 51,6%

An exclusive anniversary edition from Four Roses, released to celebrate the distillery’s 125th anniversary. This limited edition small batch is bottled at cask strength of 51.6% and is composed of selected barrels – including an 18-year-old OBSV and two 13-year-old bourbons (OBSK and OESK). The result is a rich, complex bourbon with notes of caramel, dark fruits, vanilla, and oak, rounded off with a long and warm finish. A bottle for both collectors and connoisseurs of classic Kentucky craftsmanship.

Distillery: Four Roses
Name: 125th Anniversary 2013 Small Batch Barrel Strength
Age: NA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 51.6%
70 cl
Other: Small Batch

 

 

With the ongoing celebration of our 125th Anniversary this year, our Master Distiller describes this release as "what could be the best Bourbon we've ever put in a bottle." This year's Barrel Strength Limited Edition Small Batch, created from 3 of our 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, welcomes you to the party with generous creamy vanilla, light oak and cherry cordial aromas. Bright splashes of raspberry and apricot greet the palate, giving way to subtle tones of nutmeg and cocoa. Then mellow flavors of cherry and vanilla bean define the long, luxurious finish in such a way to make you wish you could toast our 125th every year for the next 125 or more. Cheers. Tasting Notes Nose: Creamy vanilla, light oak and cherry cordial aromas. Palate: Raspberry and apricot with subtle tones of nutmeg and coca Finish: Cherry and vanilla bean. Recipe OBSV -18 years OBSK - 13 years OESK - 13 years What the letter designations mean for the 10 recipes: O = Designates produced at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY.
E = The mashbill that is 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley. B = The mashbill that is 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley. S = Designates straight whiskey distillation. V/K/O/Q/F = Yeast strain used to create flavor characteristics. Whisky Advocate, America's leading whisky magazine, named Four Roses' 2013 Limited Edition 125th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon its choice for "American Whiskey of the Year."The Whisky Advocate Awards, now in their 20th year, are the oldest and longest-running annual whisky award program. The award-winners will be highlighted in the magazine's Spring 2014 issue this March. The awards are "a recognition of a combination of excellence, innovation, tradition, and...simply great-tasting whisky," according to the magazine's online blog.

Whisky Advocate Editor John Hansell gave the Four Roses 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon a 97 out of 100 deeming it "a classic" and "a mature yet very elegant whiskey...and so easy to embrace with a splash of water." Last year's Four Roses 2012 Limited Edition Small Batch release was also named "American Whiskey of the Year." Hansell states "This is the second year in a row for Four Roses to receive this honor, and it's well-deserved. To be honest, I didn't think Four Roses could ever improve on last year's limited edition small batch release - but they did."Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge personally chose three of Four Roses' ten unique bourbon recipes to create the new barrel strength, small batch bourbon. The recipes, each with different flavor characteristics, include an 18-year-old selection of Four Roses' recipe coded OBSV (featuring delicate fruit, spicy and creamy characteristics), a 13-year-old OBSK (rich in spiciness, full body), and a 13-year-old OESK (spicy, full body). The bourbon exhibits aromas of creamy vanilla, light oak and cherry cordial, with hints of nutmeg and cocoa. The palate offers flavors of raspberries and apricots, encompassing a long, luxurious vanilla bean and cherry finish.