Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2023 Release Announced
The Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2023 expression is officially set for release! Four Roses Distillery announced the release details on the Limited Edition bourbon in September. Like prior years, they will be released via a lottery, and then bottles will inevitably make their way onto the secondary market. This marks the 8th Limited Edition release since Master Distiller Brent Elliot’s tenure. This highly anticipated drop is featured on our bourbon release calendar 2023 for those bourbon hunters with an eagle eye. We review everything bourbon lovers need to know from price to proof. So grab one of ourBourbon Glasses, fill it with something special, and let’s get into details!
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This Four Roses Limited Edition 2023 release is a blend of highly aged distillate. Prior LE Small Batch expressions produced within the Limited Edition lineup have ranged from barrel proof to single barrel. However, the first release of this tradition started in 2006 was a single barrel expression.
“This release celebrates 135 years of meticulously crafted, high quality bourbon, and I’m excited to hear what our devoted consumers have to say about it,” Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott said in a news release. “In crafting this blend, I wanted to create an elegant bourbon worthy of the brand’s heritage. Each of the 12-, 14-, and 16-year-old batches possess individual characteristics that complement each other perfectly. Once the ideal balance of these three batches was achieved, I looked at several other batches of various ages and recipes to add an extra layer of nuance to the blend. Ultimately I selected the 25-year-old OBSV, which melds perfectly with the other batches and adds additional complexity and depth.”
Quick Details:
- 108 Proof
- MSRP $199.99
- Release Date: Sept 15th
- Allocation: 15,060 bottles
SEE ALSO: Four Roses Tasting Kit: Ten Recipe Tasting Experience Set
Review & Tasting Notes
The 2023 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch release consists of 4 different batches of Four Roses Distillery barrel stock. That juice ranges from 12-year bourbon on the low end of the spectrum, up to 25-year bourbon on the oldest. That 25-year old distillate is the oldest bourbon ever included in a LE release! This mixture of various barrel strengths lands this expression at 108 proof. We’ve outlined the percentage of each of these bourbons in the overall blend.
- 14 year OESK recipe (40%)
- 12 year OESV recipe (35%)
- 16 year OESV recipe (20%)
- 25 year OBSV recipe (5%)
If you’re wonder what the codes are following the age statements, these are used to identify specific recipes within the Four Roses bourbon lineup. Since Four Roses uses 2 different mashbills and 5 different yeast strains, they typically produce 10 unique bourbon recipes. Of those recipes, a few are blended together for the Four Roses Limited Edition offering. In this instance, it includes 14-year OESK, 12-year OESV, 16-year OESV, and 25-year OBSV. In comparison, the standard Small Batch uses 4 of the 10 recipes which include OBSO, OBSK, OESO and OESK.
To dive deeper and decode the format, we’ll start with the constant letter O. This first letter designates the production facility — Four Roses Distillery. The second letter identifies the mashbill, therefore it’s always going to be E or B. The third letter typically remains constant since it designates the whiskey distillation, straight whiskey. The last or forth letter identifies the yeast strain used in the specific recipe. These can range from V (delicate fruit), K (slight spice), O (rich fruit), Q (floral essence), or F (herbal notes).
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Color
Dark Amber
Nose
Aroma: allspice, vanilla and elegant oak, mingled with a hint of cinnamon and clove
Palate
Taste: rich layers of honey and rye spice
Finish
ripe berries and pear that lead to a long mellow finish
SEE ALSO: Single Barrel vs Small Batch Bourbon
Release Date & Availability
The Four Roses 2023 Limited Edition Small Batch will be officially released on September 15, 2023.
In prior years, the distillery had made a portion of those bottles available for sale in their gift shop in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Nonetheless, the 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch release is being promoted via an online lottery.
Fans will be able to enter an online lottery to win a chance, however those winners will still need to claim those bottles in person. For 2023, there will be an allocation of 15,060 bottles available at liquor stores around the country.
Four Roses Lottery 2023
Looking for how to buy online? You can enter the Four Roses Lottery 2023 drawing below. You need to enter from August 22nd – 28th. Lottery winners will be notified on September 7th so they can make the voyage to bourbon country.
If selected, you may pick up your Limited Edition bottle at the Four Roses Distillery Gift Shop from September 15th – October 15th. Winners are required to be present and provide proof of ID to purchase.
Proof & ABV
This Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch barrel strength blend is bottled at 108 Proof proof and is non-chill filtered. The 108-proofing is the equivalent of 54% ABV.
Mash Bill
The Limited Edition Four Roses Small Batch utilizes a unique bourbon mashbill each year since it is ultimately a blend of several distillations. For the Four Roses Limited Edition 2023, the mash bill specs leverage both of the variations Four Roses Distillery uses. As we previously mentioned while decoding the letters, this blend features both Mashbill B and Mashbill E. The B version consists of 65% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. Meanwhile, the E version consists of 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley.
SEE ALSO: 2021 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Larceny, Bourbon Release
MSRP & Secondary Price
This 2023 Limited Edition Small Batch is available in a 750ml bottle which resembles the same bottle the distillery uses for the standard Small Batch and Small Batch Select offerings. This LE Small Batch has an MSRP of $200. Being as it is a highly sought after offering with limited allocation, secondary market prices will demand many times over that that retail price. Historically those secondary prices have gotten more than $700.
Suggested retail pricing is officially set for $200. However, anyone who has looked for Limited Edition Small Batch for sale, you can attest that it is a major find if you can spot it in the wild. This year’s allocation was released via a lottery. Therefore, if you’re willing to pay secondary prices just to score a bottle, get ready to pay several times over that initial amount.
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