Four Roses 125th Anniversary 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch

Description

Four Roses 125th Anniversary 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch, It was quite an honor for Four Roses to have their 2012 Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon named the 2012 “American Whiskey of the Year” by Whisky Advocate. It also means expectations for this year’s release were set really high. So when I started hearing whispers and rumors about how great this year’s bottling was shaping up to be, I admit I started getting excited. After all, when you hear phrases like “best ever” from the Master Distiller himself it’s hard not to expect great things.

The Four Roses 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon marks the brand’s second limited edition release celebrating their 125 years of distilling. Here’s the details from the Four Roses’ website:

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.

This anniversary bottling offers a taste straight from the barrel when the bourbon is uncut and non-chill filtered. Approximately 8,000 bottles of the Four Roses 2013 Limited Edition 125th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon are planned for distribution in September to U.S. markets. 

Four Roses 125th Anniversary 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch

I reached out to Jim Rutledge last week to get his thoughts on this year’s release and here’s what he had to say: “I think it could be the best Bourbon we’ve ever put in a bottle. I selected the recipe and barrels at the end of January, so it’s possible the additional 7 months of aging in wood could have an impact (+/-) on what we saw in January, but hopefully not.”

If you’re not excited after a statement like that from Jim Rutledge you better go back to drinking vodka, my friend. Clearly Jim’s excited about this one.  Let’s dive into my Four Roses 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon Review and find out if it lives up to the hype.