Four Roses Limited Edition 2025

Four Roses Limited Edition 2025

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber 
54.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, toast, pear drops, ink, popcorn, honey. With water, blueberries, acetone, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, oily, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Toast, pear drops, ink, acetone, popcorn, blueberries, mint, toast. With water, blueberries, acetone, popcorn. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, mint, acetone, ink. 

Comments: 

Interesting bourbon, with a blueberries and nail varnish vibe that’s really quite alluring. There’s mint, and even toast, and it takes water rather well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Four Roses Limited Edition 2024 Release

Four Roses Limited Edition 2024 Release

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Dark amber 
54.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oak chips, chocolate, brown paper, raisins, honey, black tea, butter. With water, orange peel, brown paper, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, mouth coating, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, oak chips, vanilla, brown paper, sea salt, fresh baked bread, cornflakes. With water, brown paper, chocolate, black tea. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, oak chips, vanilla, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious, Four Roses is always buttery and chock full of cornflakes. Water brings out notes of chocolate and orange peel, almost like a Terry’s. Decent bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.

Four Seasons Single Barrel 13yo 2013

Four Seasons Single Barrel 13yo 2013

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber red
63.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, brown paper, strawberry jam, sandalwood, black pepper, hints of orange peel. With water, strawberry jam, roses, cinnamon, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, menthol, brown paper, raisins, black pepper, orange peel, hints of liquorice. With water, black pepper, strawberry jam, menthol, orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Menthol, raisins, black pepper, liquorice. 

Comments: 

These Four Roses limited editions are surprisingly (at least to me) popular. They’re nice, but they’re really more intense and highly flavoured versions of the basic dram. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth paying for, but I prefer whiskies that showcase a different aspect of the distillate. Still, I enjoyed this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Four Roses Small Batch Select

Four Roses Small Batch Select 

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky 
Amber
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, vanilla, butter, orange peel, sandalwood. With water, orange peel, brown paper, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, orange peel, sandalwood, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of raisins. With water, black tea, cinnamon, orange peel, nutmeg. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, orange peel, vanilla, hints of brown paper. 

Comments: 

Quite a spicy little bourbon, and bottled at a nice strength. Neat it’s spicy and a little bit jammy. With water it opens up a treat, turns spicier still, but it then features notes of grain rather than fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Four Roses Limited Edition 2013

Four Roses Limited Edition 2013

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber rose
63.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, blackcurrants, raisins, vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate, hints of soy sauce. With water, more soy sauce, preserved lemons, roast chicken.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, expands, turns watery.
Tasting: Sweet. Blackcurrants, raisins, prunes, coffee, dark chocolate, dried apples, hints of soy sauce. With water, more savoury, roast chicken, dried apples, hints of mushrooms.
Finish: Long. Coffee, blackcurrants, prunes, dried apples.

Comments:

Batch 3-4P. Wow! Huge lashings of fruits, dried and fresh, with lots of coffee and dark chocolate. This is incredibly drinkable at 63.4%. Once water is added though, it becomes even more flavourful, with quite a lot of savoury, umami notes. Great, great bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Four Roses Single Barrel

Four Roses Single Barrel

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, brown paper, bananas, cream, hints of mint, hints of butterscotch.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, loosens in the mouth.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Vanilla, brown paper, bananas, cola nuts, mint, hints of butterscotch.
Finish: Long. Vanilla, cola nuts, brown paper, mint.

Comments:

Not much of a nose (I had to work really hard to detect the aromas) but my goodness, this is heaven on the tongue. Really sweet savoury, with a delicious flavour reminiscent of cola nuts. Awesome sipping bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Bulleit Bourbon

Bulleit Bourbon

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, black pepper, honey, orange peel, lemons, hints of strawberries.
Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, airy, loose.
Tasting: Sweet. Peanuts, black pepper, orange peel, strawberries, honey, vanilla, brown paper.
Finish: Short. Mint, black pepper, honey, orange peel.

Comments:

Distilled at the Four Roses distillery. Apparently has a high percentage of rye in the mash (close to 35%). Light and airy, quite a lot of flavour. No age statement, but this must be 4 or 5 years old, as it tastes youthful and fresh. I like the spicy, peppery fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Four Roses Yellow Label

Four Roses Yellow Label

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Golden
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Pears, apples, brown paper, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, magic marker.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, cool, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Pears, apples, cinnamon, honey, brown paper, chocolate.
Finish: Medium. Pears, apples, banana, cinnamon.

Comments:

Pleasant, drinkable bourbon. Ultimately though, a little too light and bland. I prefer robust, strong spirits. I could drink this one all day in front of the TV though. Maybe that's what it's been made for.

Verdict:

I like this.