This bottle marks the first limited edition release from Brent Elliott, the new master distiller of Four Roses. He took over from Jim Rutledge roughly a year ago. Breaking Bourbon did a really cool interview with him, which you can check out here.

The way Four Roses does their mash bills is very interesting and if you’re new to this, it can be overwhelming at first. I talked about it some in my Yellow Label  review, and you can always check out Bourbonr’s cheat sheet. Broken down and with pictures is way easier, especially if you’re a visual learner like me. This bottle is mash bill OESK, I’ve reviewed an OESK before and the link is here.

This is bottle 10189 of 10224.

Company: Kirin

Distillery: Four Roses Distillery

Location: Near Lawrenceburg, KY

Mash Bill: OESK, “E” means, 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley

Age: 14 years

ABV: 60.3% (120.6 proof)

Released: Summer 2016

Price: $125

Color: Bright Amber

Nose: Loads of vanilla, oak, caramel, raspberry, cherry, clove, cinnamon stick, white pepper, and an earthy smell I can’t quite pinpoint… maybe basil. It’s a very sweet and spicy nose.

Taste: More fruit like apples and raspberry. Pepper, cloves, red hots, oak, and barrel char. Rich and oily body. Well balanced with all the different tastes, fruity, spicy, sweet, oily. Yum.

Finish: Hot finish, lingers in your mouth for awhile, then down your throat, even my teeth are warm. Mmmmm. Very oaky, cloves, salted dark chocolate finish.

Overall: This is a really great Bourbon, Kris is pretty sure this is his favorite mash bill from Four Roses. This bottle is really similar to the 2015 Limited Small Batch as it contains a 14 and 15 year OESK. And, that bottle is amazing. Probably, my personal favorite.

This bottle was $125, the Small Batch last year was $85, and I know they’re not the same, yet I can’t help but wonder about the prices of Bourbon getting a little outrageous. I know, it’s hard to find and sought after, but I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if this was $80-ish. And, I can’t help but think that $125 is a little steep. So, because of the price and the finish, this gets a 4.5 from me.

This does help reiterate my love of everything Four Roses.  If there’s Four Roses in my hand, I’m a happy camper.

Rating: 4.5/5