The Fourth Rose: Four Roses Small Batch Select

Four Roses recently released a new addition to their year round collection - Four Roses Small Batch Select. According to the website it is a blend of 10 different bourbon recipes made at their distillery in Kentucky using two different mashbills and 5 different yeasts. The tag on my bottle states that it is 2 mashbills and 3 yeasts (not 5). The tag also indicates that these bourbons are mixed at 6 or 7 years old to form this blend. It sells for around $60 a bottle.

Well, I am getting ready for the new season of The Bachelorette so when I saw a new Four Roses bourbon on the shelf I thought now was the perfect time to try. This bourbon has quite the kick, with a pretty significant burn. It smells fruity, like fresh tangy stone fruit, but not overly sweet. I added an ice cube to it - its a higher proof bourbon and I usually need the little bit of ice to balance the bite. It is a very fresh almost herbal tasting whiskey with a slightly bitter note which balances out the light sweetness. You can taste the higher rye content in one of the two mashbills used in this blend, resulting in a spicy bourbon. This would definitely warm you up on a cold day. It finishes with a fruity note with a little vanilla and oak. As the ice cube melts, more sweetness emerges - though the spicy bite is still present. Every sip I taste a little something different which is a fun tasting experience. This is a bourbon you want to drink when you have time to pay attention to it.