Four Roses LE Single Barrel 2013

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Four roses limited single barrels and small batch are a very safe bet when it comes to ultra premium bourbon.

The prices of them are much more stable than other trendy high end picks. Between 70 and 85 most of the time.

[joboyd]

Four Roses Distillery announces the second 2013 limited edition bourbon to mark the brand’s year-long celebration of its 125 years in distilling. The first was a single barrel bourbon released in the spring and the second will be the 2013 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, to be released this fall.

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 125^th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon are planned for distribution in September to U.S. markets.

“I’m always coming across some really amazing bourbons during the selection process,” said Rutledge. “And for this special release, I was presented with quite the challenge to make a selection worthy of toasting our 125^th year. I’m thrilled to say this bourbon does just that.”

[Trey Manthey]

Maybe we should start a new thread for the Small Batch?

[joboyd]

Ah yes, sorry. Since there's so much 4R discussion in here I just threw it in this thread. Apologies!

[Yeti]

No worries joboyd, there's a ton of crossover discussion with these things. Trey's probably just anticipating (correctly) the deluge of discussion for that particular bottle that will be coming.

[Tucker]

Maybe we should start a new thread for the Small Batch?

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?20368-Four-Roses-2013-Small-Batch-LE

[smknjoe]

...still haven't seen this in TX yet. If you have post it. All of the local shops keep saying "it won't be released until Fall with PVW." I then try to explain that it has been out for months...

Hmm, just called a store and they said that they already got it and sold it. I think it's total BS and he's just tired of getting calls about it. If that store really got some then one of the SBers here would know about it.

Edited August 7, 2013 by smknjoe

[lrochau]

I ask that store every time I'm there and they say they haven't got it in yet. You can tell some get annoyed when asked!

[squire]

This is highly desirable, Mr. Rutledge knows his stuff.

[Restaurant man]

This is highly desirable, Mr. Rutledge knows his stuff.

I'm gonna bathe in mine

[squire]

That reminds me of the distillery worker who drown in a vat of whisky. It took quite awhile they say, he had to climb out three times to go to the bathroom.

[mbroo5880i]

I wish they would give a free 50 mL sample with every bottle of Yellow Label you buy! :grin:

[Jorgemu1]

Has anyone seen any of these in the Atlanta metro area lately? I missed out on this when it came out earlier this year and I'm still looking. Won't make the same mistake with the SBLE.

[tanstaafl2]

Has anyone seen any of these in the Atlanta metro area lately? I missed out on this when it came out earlier this year and I'm still looking. Won't make the same mistake with the SBLE.

It seemed to hit Georgia late. There was a brief period of availability maybe about 4 weeks ago but I haven't seen it since. There may still be a few tucked away in the back of stores but it will likely take some searching.

[BoyScout]

I picked up one bottle last week by asking my dealer real nice if he could get one and yessir, he found one!

[HowboutdemOs]

Know where to get one if anyone is interested.

[Quantum]

I saw three bottles marked barrel 3-3B. The weird thing was they were 59.8%, 61.8%, and 69.8%. I may be a few drinks in, but that doesnt really make sense to me. Can anyone explain this?

[squire]

Well, it doesn't sound like they all came from the same barrel.

[Quantum]

These are the 3 bottles, and the side label for one of them was a little distorted. It looks like part of the label must be wrong, or else there is something weird going on. 69.8% also seems high compared to everything else.

[Tucker]

69.8% has to be a mistake (59.8% is about right). Doesn't explain the 61.8% though. They are all pretty clearly 3-3B and should have the same proof. Mark it down to human error. I imagine writing those in by hand is a tedious task.

[MauiSon]

I think that deserves an email to JR for some explainin'!

[Quantum]

Ill just ask 4R to send me samples for comparison, and I'll let them know if these are labeled correctly or not.

[kcgumbohead]

Cracked mine today on a day off, a perfect time to examine this LE which is the first 4RLE for me. I love the standard issue 4R, all of them, YL, SmB and SB. I was very curious about these LEs having only had the 2012 Smb in a local bar.

My 2013SB is 60.1/BS/3-30. The 60 ish proofs seem to be getting solid reviews so at 60.1 mine is right in there. The proof is higher than what over the years I am finding is my personal sweetspot which is 90-100. I drink neat but as a newbie to vatting, cutting proof... I have been reluctant to purchase much over 100 as my past attempts to "tune" with water have only succeeded in ruining what it was I added water to, so I buy at or below 100 and enjoy happily. This experimentaion occured with bourbons no higher than 100 so I was fixing something that wasn't broke but I was curious as to the effect so it was educational if not very staisfying.

Rules are made to be broken so I'll admit to loving WTRB and not touching it at 108, I find it perfect there.

Onto the 2013SB. The neat pour I found to be very flavorful with toffee, spice, leather, dried fruit, all the adjectives already assigned to it but there was a stronger alcohol note than I would like for a standard pour. I plan to become skilled with cutting in order to enjoy some more of these hi test releases and the LE is my training ground to develop these skills. I cut a second taste to 110 and found that it took the flavor profile a bit sideways, more sweetness but not in balance, in fact the balance was a bit off, the ratio of sweet to spice became disjointed and neither was accentuated with the addition of water and worst of all the boozy note at the end was unaffected.

I next tried the cut to 100. I was concerned that this amount of water would take what I liked in the neat pour and ruin it per my past experiences and that sideways trip I just described, well it didn't. Unlike my impressions at 110 this pour now had a toffee/brown sugar entry, nicely balanced spice (pepper& cinnamon) and a new characteristic emerged I can only describe as creamy that was previously not present, now with a beautiful long finish. The boozy character transformed into a more char like characteristic which brought the barrel into play. THIS is what I was looking for in a 13yr OBSK.

I like this LE a lot, though I will drink it at 100 proof from here on out. It was a lot of fun to try it at various strengths and experience different personalities emerge. I am very glad that the water didn't F it up but instead actually enhanced the drink, I get it now and it its looking like 100 is the happy place for my palate. Of course this is strictly my taste with this barrel and tuned to my preference but I am glad to develop some confidence in what "my" taste is and I can use this knowledge with these north of 100 releases to maximize my enjoyment, after all ain't that what this is all about? Sub 100 proof I ain't touchin it.

Now looking forward to 2013 Smb.

Edited August 27, 2013 by kcgumbohead

[squire]

Quite so kc, we all have to find our personal balance point. When Elmer Lee was asked about his namesake Bourbon being bottled at 90 proof he commented he didn't care for "high octane Bourbons" but he also commented he drank his whisky mixed with Sprite.

Very good review, you've got the touch, look forward to reading more about your discoveries.

[hn4bourbon]

Cracked mine today on a day off, a perfect time to examine this LE which is the first 4RLE for me. I love the standard issue 4R, all of them, YL, SmB and SB. I was very curious about these LEs having only had the 2012 Smb in a local bar.

My 2013SB is 60.1/BS/3-30. The 60 ish proofs seem to be getting solid reviews so at 60.1 mine is right in there. The proof is higher than what over the years I am finding is my personal sweetspot which is 90-100. I drink neat but as a newbie to vatting, cutting proof... I have been reluctant to purchase much over 100 as my past attempts to "tune" with water have only succeeded in ruining what it was I added water to, so I buy at or below 100 and enjoy happily. This experimentaion occured with bourbons no higher than 100 so I was fixing something that wasn't broke but I was curious as to the effect so it was educational if not very staisfying.

Rules are made to be broken so I'll admit to loving WTRB and not touching it at 108, I find it perfect there.

Onto the 2013SB. The neat pour I found to be very flavorful with toffee, spice, leather, dried fruit, all the adjectives already assigned to it but there was a stronger alcohol note than I would like for a standard pour. I plan to become skilled with cutting in order to enjoy some more of these hi test releases and the LE is my training ground to develop these skills. I cut a second taste to 110 and found that it took the flavor profile a bit sideways, more sweetness but not in balance, in fact the balance was a bit off, the ratio of sweet to spice became disjointed and neither was accentuated with the addition of water and worst of all the boozy note at the end was unaffected.

I next tried the cut to 100. I was concerned that this amount of water would take what I liked in the neat pour and ruin it per my past experiences and that sideways trip I just described, well it didn't. Unlike my impressions at 110 this pour now had a toffee/brown sugar entry, nicely balanced spice (pepper& cinamon) and a new characteristic emerged I can only describe as creamy that was previously not present, now with a beautiful long finish. The boozy character transformed into a more char like characteristic which brought the barrel into play. THIS is what I was looking for in a 13yr OBSK.

I like this LE a lot, though I will drink it at 100 proof from here on out. It was a lot of fun to try it at various strengths and experience different the personalities emerge. I am very glad that the water didn't F it up but instead actually enhanced the drink, I get it now and it its looking like 100 is the happy place for my palate. Of course this is strictly my taste with this barrel and tuned to my preference but I am glad to develop some confidence in what "my" taste is and I can use this knowledge with these north of 100 releases to maximize my enjoyment, after all ain't that what this is all about? Sub 100 proof I ain't touchin it.

Now looking forward to 2013 Smb.