Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition (2018) Review

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For most of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Four Roses reputation suffered in the United States as a brand that was releasing subpar whiskey. That all changed after the Japanese company Kirin acquired them in 2002.

Jim Rutledge gave a fascinating interview to the Bourbon Pursuit guys back in 2018 about how the focus suddenly shifted from blended whiskey swill to quality Kentucky Straight Bourbon almost overnight. This revolution in the way things were done and the standards to which bourbon was distilled and aged set the stage for a dramatic comeback.

“Four Roses Single Barrel” introduced enthusiasts to a quality, decently aged 100 proof bourbon in 2002 followed by the introduction of Small Batch in 2004. Small Batch showcased the blending prowess of the brand with a handful of their different recipes. The enthusiast community began to take notice.

Small Batch Limited Edition was first rolled out in 2008. High-end connoisseurs will know the first two annual releases by the name “Mariage” (yes, that’s the correct spelling). That nomenclature was dropped in 2010 and the brand stuck with just Small Batch Limited Edition – or SmBLE for short.

The 2018 release of Small Batch Limited Edition

In 2013, the team behind products and marketing at Four Roses decided to honor their 125th year of the brand by giving that year’s SmBLE an updated label with a big “125th Anniversary” on the bottom front of the bottle. This was followed in 2018 with similar packaging for their 130th Anniversary.

As I was preparing this review, a thought kept swirling around in my mind whether Four Roses ever gave these special 5-year anniversary releases any extra attention over the other ones. It was a long shot, but I decided to crunch two important numbers to see if anything stood out.

I calculated the average age of every batch released and the average rye percentage of each batch. Maybe Four Roses uses rarer barrels or favored a certain amount of rye to create something better? I was trying to figure out how to integrate the recipes themselves, but nothing came to mind on how to do that. Anyway, here are the two infographs I came up with.

Formula -> Age x Percentage of Use in Blend. Repeat for all recipes. Add the sum together and divide by 100.

The only thing I deduced from my numbers is that the 2018 SmBLE was roughly middle of the pack with the average rye content it used (FYI: maximum would be 35%, minimum would be 20%) and in the bottom half of the average combined age of barrels used at 12.5 years old.

Now that I know nothing conclusive has been gleaned, how does it taste? I’m about ready to find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: You can’t miss the opening salvo of oak and wood varnish notes. What’s interesting is that I typically find these strong tannic notes in Four Roses SmBLE’s that have 20-year-old components. That’s not the case with this one seeing as how the oldest bourbon used is only 16 years old. But those old notes don’t get in the way of other great scents like chocolate sauce, vanilla and cinnamon. The nose is also packed with lots of fruit notes like cherries, apricots and raisins soaked in syrup. There’s a nice sweetness that reminds me more of molasses than typical ones like caramel. I’m not complaining though!

Palate: Just like the nose, my introductory sip reveals a beautifully rich, oaky palate complete with more varnish and even cigar wrapper. Another wood note – cedar – stands out by adding depth and complexity to this blend. Chocolate notes combine with citrus notes (lemon custard and orange peel) and are spiced up with cinnamon stick, clove and a hint of anise. Stone fruit mingles with vanilla and a hint of some herbal notes that reveal its high rye nature. Everything just clicks which makes this taste like every component in the blend has done its job. The mouthfeel and heat levels are richer and a tad hotter than I was expecting for 108 proof, but they only add to the experience, not subtract.

Finish: The finish lasts far longer than i was expecting and includes a growing level of spice that builds in your mouth with each completed sip. Lingering tannic flavors combine with lingering herbal flavors to remind you of its high rye content. Cinnamon, citrus and oak are the stars of the finish and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Score: 9.1/10

Each sip of the 2018 SmBLE made me fall in love with it just a little bit more. The high-rye nature of the liquid coupled with its elegant tannic kiss made it an instant classic. There really is nothing missing from the blend. It’s the complete package.

The one interesting thing to note in this release is that I felt like the sheer concentration of flavors coupled with the spice level made it taste like it had more proof than it actually does (it’s slightly above 108 proof). This isn’t a bad thing in my opinion and I’m finding a little more enjoyment because my mind is conveying to my tongue that it’s getting more of an impact with every sip. Has this ever happened with you?

Final Thoughts

One final thought that popped into my mind involves a quick story that I’ll call “A Tale of Two Bourbon Groups.” This story is unique to the 2017 and 2018 bottlings of SmBLE. I had two bottles of the 2018 release and was trying to trade (1:1) for the 2017 bottle. I approached the members of the Neat Drinkers Association with my trade offer and was told that the 2017 bottle was worth more and I would have to add some money to the trade.

So I turned to the members of the New Jersey Bourbon and Yacht Club and asked to do a similar trade. My offer was immediately accepted. It was the collective opinion of the NJBYC guys that the 2018 was worth more than the 2017.

I tell this story because it’s interesting to see how opinions vary from person to person and group to group on which SmBLE is the best and where the other ones fall from there. I personally think the 2018 release is excellent and I’m glad I have one to enjoy. But did I think the 2017 was better? Stay tuned for my future review where I put it to the test.