Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Mike Rosen

Bourbon

February 6, 2024

Four Roses Small Batch was created in 2006 by their former Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge. Small Batch, is made up of 4 of the 10 Four Roses recipes OBSK, OESK, OBSO, and OESO, and have an equal balance of the E (20% rye) and B (35% rye) mash bills, bottled at 90 proof. A Four Roses blog article says, “While exact details vary slightly by batch, the average “Small Batch” size is approximately 250 barrels. Barrels are typically between six and seven years old, with an average age per batch around six and a half years old. Bourbon from each of our four unique recipes is used to create each batch. Because of the required flavor profile and volume demand, barrels typically come from multiple aging rickhouses to make up each batch. Prior to dumping, representative samples are pulled from each batch of each recipe to be combined and tested in the lab by our Master Distiller, Brent Elliott. Several rounds of test blending and batch evaluation is necessary to fine tune the test blends prior to dumping and bottling. This process is what creates the consistently smooth Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon we all love”. You can check out all the Four Roses recipes and descriptions here. Let’s get to it!

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 10 minutes.

Distillery: Four Roses Distillery.

Proof: 90.

Age: NAS (between 6 to 7 years).

Mash bill E: 75% Corn/ 20% Rye/ 5% Malted Barley.

Mash bill B: 60% Corn/ 35% Rye/ 5% Malted Barley.

Four Roses Yeast Strains: OBSK, OESK, OBSO, and OESO.

Price: Around $35.

Appearance: Golden caramel.

Nose

Sweet caramel flavors of brown sugar, toffee, and butterscotch. Herbal notes of sage, cloves with apricots, pears, vanilla, and nutmeg. Floral notes of dried flowers with mild allspice and delicious oak that reminds me of cedar. As the session continues, more stone fruit and toffee come forward.

Palate

Similar to the nose are flavors of toffee, butterscotch, sage, cloves, apricots, and oak. A moderate amount of allspice enters the sip, lasting through the finish with no proof heat. The mouthfeel is decent for a 90-proof bourbon between thin to medium, with some creaminess. The palate isn’t as complex as the nose but delivers a delicious, balanced mix of flavors that I appreciate. The oak and stone fruit flavors are especially good.

Finish

Allspice continues with butterscotch, apricots, vanilla, sage, and nutmeg lingering with oak for a very tasty, medium-long finish.

Conclusion

I bought this bottle a few months ago while out of town visiting family and friends. They wanted to make an Old-Fashioned recipe that used a homemade demerara syrup with apples, pears, cloves, and nutmeg. The recipe specifically called for Four Roses Small Batch, and it turned out great. I wish I’d taken some home with me, but I did pour a few ounces of just the Small Batch into an Aged & Ore flight bottle with a review in mind someday. I’m just now realizing how similar my tasting notes are to that syrup.

Many years ago, Four Roses Small Batch was my gateway bourbon. The last time I had Small Batch was about a year ago. I remember it being more fruit-forward, but the extra herbal flavors in this batch added more complexity (more so on the nose than the palate). Aside from the sentimental value I have for this bottle, Four Roses Small Batch is an excellent value and a very good tasting, enjoyable bourbon whenever I have the occasion to drink it.

Rating: 6.0/10.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.

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