Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2016)

Nicely blended..no one note sticks out...hint of sweetness up frount. 《Cask&Ale Madison WI》

Fantastic !

Actually tried the 2011 small batch.

The final bonus dram of round 5. 25 reviews in less than 2 months is challenging, but also a fun journey. This time it’s a bourbon rather than a scotch and it’s from a distillery I really like, Four Roses. This 2016 release of their Limited Edition Small Batch is bottled at 55.6% ABV, what I can only assume is batch strength, natural color of a rusty orange and most likely non chill filtered. I was surprised to find mint as the first note I picked up on the nose. It’s very floral for a bourbon, honeysuckle and lavender. Orange rind with a light cinnamon. Then just like that the cinnamon becomes stronger with some toffee, caramel and mocha. A little bubblegum in there as well. Dry grass, brown sugar and some green grapes oddly enough. Not exactly what I was expecting, but very nice nonetheless A nice gentle oak greets the palate along with some barrel char. Again it’s quite floral. Some apples and oranges and even grapefruit. Toffee, some light butterscotch, cinnamon and clove. Not nearly as complex as I would have liked, but still very good and quite easy to drink neat. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is dry. It is not so much mouth coating as it is tongue coating. A long finish with oak, lavender and orange pith. Quite dry. Much milder than I was expecting. The single barrel is much more intense at a lower 50% ABV. I can’t get over just how floral it was. A few drops of water cut the flowers off at the stem and brought out more typical bourbon spices. Given its rarity and hefty price tag I have to say I am not quite as impressed as my SDT cohorts were. It’s good and I enjoyed it, I just wasn’t blown away. Having said that I’m still giving a 4.25. Thank to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. Cheers