Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon 2025 Review

There’s an old saying that goes like “Every perspective has a bit of truth to it.” I find this to be true with every person I talk to in the bourbon landscape. Everyone has their opinion when it comes to which bottles are overrated, if a bottle is incorrectly labeled and even the source of an undisclosed whiskey.

But there is one perspective that has become louder and more common with each passing year – and that’s how Four Roses only produces good Limited Edition Small Batches on “odd-numbered” years. I initially thought enthusiasts were just exaggerating but after reviewing many of these releases and especially after last year’s flop, I started to see their point.

The 2025 Small Batch Limited Edition

I hadn’t been hearing a lot of chatter leading up to the release of the Small Batch Limited Edition for this year – which is sometimes a bad sign. There are always early reviews from media samples that get people excited or temper their expectations prior to nation wide distribution. I wasn’t hearing too much chatter on this year’s batch, so I figured it might be a dud. In fact, after the specs were announced, it seemed like it was about average in most regards. The proof was about middle-of-the-road compared to previous batches, the average age of the blend was also middle of the road and the average rye content also seemed to be right in the middle. Here are some charts where I record these kinds of things to compare and contrast each release:

The specs for this year include a blend of 4 different recipes which – surprise, surprise – contain V and K yeast strains. These are the most popular yeast strains used, year after year. Here is the breakdown:

38% 13-year-old OBSV
35% 13-year-old OESV
17% 13-year-old OBSK
10% 19-year-old OESV

The 19-year-old OESV component has some good promise to elevate the tannins and maturity in this year’s batch. I think it was missing from last year’s batch which in turn made it so lifeless.

So how is this year’s batch? Can it rebound from the mistakes of last year’s? There’s only one way to find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The nose leads with loads of fruit – namely sweet berries and some sweet stone fruit. Next I feel like the oak and spice (cinnamon, clove, anise) ramp up my sensation of age and complexity. Then come the sweet scents of vanilla buttercream, marshmallows and Cow Tales. This smells so well-integrated and layered. It’s one of the better Four Roses I’ve smelled in recent memory.

Palate: Much like the nose, I think the palate leads with fruit. Cherries, dehydrated blueberries, ripe strawberries and some apricot all follow. Surprisingly, I’m not getting much citrus on this one – which I feel like is a staple of any Four Roses bourbon. The rye flavors are also amped up more than normal with licorice, cinnamon and wildflower honey. The vanilla buttercream frosting note is back and quite delicious. It also describes the mouthfeel – like you just put a big dab of frosting in your mouth. The fully mature oak and cedar cigar box give this dram a big punch of age and I swear at some points I’m detecting this quasi-“dusty” quality to the liquid. I’m loving it.

Finish: You’re going to love the finish on this one. All remaining flavors are slathered in that rich buttercream that has been so prevalant this whole time. The rye spice (licorice/anise standing out the most) lends its heavy character to keep your tongue buzzing while oak and tobacco offer their maturity to the mix. I swear I’m still picking up a “dusty” note that’s hard to explain, but it’s fantastic.

Score: 8.8/10

Even after the first sniff, I knew that this was going to be a banger of a SmBLE. It didn’t take too long after I began drinking it that my initial impressions were verified – the 2025 release had that “it” factor that Baconites crave. Every single sensory category was checked off for me – the fruits, the spices, the creamy mouthfeel and the maturity (probably from those 19-year-old barrels). This is the total package and it’s right up there with the 2019 and 2023 releases in terms of how great it is.

Is there anything it could improve upon? That’s a tough question. I can’t actually nail down what this bottle lacks, yet I felt like it didn’t quite crest into the territory of a “9.” I found almost every flavor that I love and they all tasted like they were meant to be together, but something holds it back from sharing the stage with true elite bottles. I don’t mean to take away from how good this really is, but I’m wondering if anyone else feels like I do – where Four Roses just can’t reach the highest echelons of bourbondom. I hate that for them and for me because I typically love what they put out.

Final Thoughts

When Four Roses nails it, they really nail it – and the 2025 release nailed it. If you see this bottle, do not waffle, just buy it. It’s not quite bourbon of the year, but it’s definitely in the discussion for Top 10. It almost makes the ever-increasing MSRP that they’ve given it seem worth it. Actually, at $250, I do think this is a great deal and would recommend buying it on sight. You should definitely pick this over the 2025 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon if given the choice. To Brent and his crew – good job! Keep making blends like this and you’ll have a happy fanbase.

And now begins the long wait as we cross our fingers and hope that the “even-numbered” 2026 release won’t suck. At least we’ll have 12 months of sipping on this bottle to keep us company.