2025 Four Roses Small Batch Ltd. Ed. Bourbon Review

 

Each September, in conjunction with Bourbon Heritage Month, Four Roses Distillery releases its Small Batch Limited Edition Bourbon. It is a truly one-and-done whiskey, meaning that next year, it will be completely different. Over the last 10+ years, I’ve been lucky enough to have had several of the Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition releases. Some are better than others, and not all are glitter and rainbows.

“Year after year, we look to create a unique expression that highlights the best of what our ten recipes can offer. 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. 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.” – Brent Elliott, Four Roses Master Distiller

So, what’s that recipe thing Brent mentioned? If you’re unfamiliar with Four Roses, it makes ten different Bourbon recipes. Each recipe has a four-digit code. Two of the four digits are always O _ S _. The blanks are what matter. There is a 35% high-rye mash labeled B and a 20% low-rye mash labeled E. Then, the last digit tells you about the yeast:

• V = Delicate
• K = Baking Spice
• O = Rich Fruit
• Q = Floral Essence
• F = Herbal Notes

This year’s release blends a 13-year-old OBSV, a 13-year-old OBSK, a 13-year-old OESV, and a 19-year-old OESV.

Now for a few doses of reality: Scoring a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition at a liquor store is like getting struck by lightning - twice. Seeing this on a store shelf will most likely result in an immediate need to change your underwear. It is one of the most sought-after, highly allocated Bourbons around. The last time I saw one available for purchase at a reasonable price was in 2017.

That brings us to the price of a bottle. The MSRP is $240.00, a $20.00 increase from 2024. Expect to pay more than that if you see it on a shelf. And, for you brave souls who dabble in the black market (some people refer to that as secondary, but let’s just call it what it is), I would assume you could double the hit on your wallet.

By now, you’re probably muttering, Can’t he just shut up and get to the tasting notes? That’s fair. But before I #DrinkCurious, I must thank Four Roses for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Four Roses
• Age: 13 years
• Mashbill: Blend of 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley with 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 54.5% ABV (109°)
• Price per 750mL: $249.00
• Non-Chill Filtered

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. The deep, topaz-colored whiskey looked inviting. A heavy rim yielded fat, fast, evenly spaced tears.

Nose: I allowed the Four Roses Bourbon to breathe for about 15 minutes before further examining it. However, while I was waiting, my whiskey library was filled with the aroma of apricots and peaches. Once I brought the glass beneath my nose, those fruity notes remained and were joined by plums, brown sugar, toffee, and muted rye spice. I drew that air through my lips and discovered rich caramel.

Palate: A silky, somewhat light mouthfeel greeted my tongue, along with a bold dose of oak. That’s palate shock; you have to take a second sip to get past that, because it was absent at that point. The front consisted of apricots, plums, and lime zest. As it moved to my mid-palate, I detected notes of old leather, toffee, and vanilla. The back offered deep oak, light rye spice, and cinnamon.

Finish: The oak, rye spice, and leather blended with cinnamon, lime zest, and toffee. Apricots were hidden beneath. It had a slow ramp-up with oak and cinnamon eventually stealing the show. Those hit a crescendo and then vanished. I timed its duration at 1:40, placing it on the early part of the longer side.

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Due to the unknown component of how much you’ll have to pay for it if found in the wild, my Bottle, Bar, or Bust rating completely ignores the price and is strictly based on how it smelled and tasted.

With that being said, the 2013 release is, in my opinion, the king of the Small Batch Limited Editions. I’ve yet to experience another that comes close to knocking it off its pedestal, and with complete honesty, 2025 isn’t going to accomplish that, either.

Please don’t take that as a negative, because it isn’t. The 2025 Small Batch Limited Edition is excellent and one of the better examples of what Four Roses has to offer. It is also one of the older entries.

Is it worth chasing down? I believe so. I appreciate Brent Elliott and his team holding onto barrels for 19 years in the hope that they would turn out special. My Bottle rating is warranted. Don’t pass this one up if you can find it. Cheers!

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.