Four Roses 2012 Small Batch Limited Edition
Rich and powerful
0 289
nReview by @numen
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall89
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- Brand: Four Roses
- Type: American
- ABV: 55.2%
Borrowing (I'm lazy) from Sku's recent eats, here's the skinny on this bourbon: This year's Limited Edition Small Batch is a blend of the following four bourbons: 17 year old OBSV, 11 year old OBSV, 12 year old OBSK and 12 year old OESK. This vatting combines three different ages, two different yeasts (V and K) and both of the mashbills: the B mashbill is 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. and the E mashbill is 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley.
Jim Rutledge, the master distiller at Four Roses, even said that he thinks that this might be the best small batch that he's done.
Nose: Honry, caramel, and the sweetest, softest saw dust. Vanilla and very dry, stale coconut shavings. Oatmealy notes. Some peppermint, cinnamon, allspice, and maple syrup that's been left outside and gotten granular. The rye is very subtle. Creamy-eggnog with nutmeg, and creme brulee. Turns more to cedar and fir tree and a bit of tobacco. Spirity and some alcohol there, which brings tight wood and sour fruit with it (green apple skin). Great graphite (pencil).
Palate: Tight and sweet, honeyed, quickly displays a strong rightly and oaty-grainy character. Anise, simmering syrup, cinnamon, bourbony goodness. Corn and pepper. Easy to enjoy, but a lot of depth to it.
Finish/Notes: It's a bit fiercer than the Single Barrel, a bit more honeyed, less minty, and there is more spice and oatmeal. It reminds me of one of the excellent high-proof Abraham Bowman rye whiskies for the entry, but this was just a bit hot. Depending on the mood, this is a B+, but it could go to A-.
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To follow-up on this, I noticed some deterioration in the spirit about a month after I opened it. The 'oatmealy' notes became more 'mealy' and the usual bourbon caramel/honey/vanilla combination evaporated. In an effort to at least preserve it, I used some inert gas. I went back to this a few times this week, but found that it was completely gone. Acetone and bitter wood. I couldn't salvage it and had to dump it. The Single Barrel holds up, but this just became a lost spirit.