By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
Better late than never: although it came out a month ago, I am finally getting to take a crack at Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2026.
The 19th entry in the series, this time the blend behind the expression draws on 14-year-old OBSK, a 14-year-old OESK, a 15-year-old OESV, and a 23-year-old OESK. For those not familiar with the Four Roses nomenclature, the distillery has two mash bills in use: B is the very spicy high rye recipe, and E is the more traditional, lower rye content recipe. The distillery also has five distinct yeasts in use. Five times two yields ten distinct combinations, four of which are in use here. As a whole, the bourbon is predominately middle-aged (the 23 year old whiskey is only a tenth of the whole), almost 4/5s of it uses the K yeast, and 69% is drawn from the traditional E mash bill.
The Bourbon
Four Roses Small Batch LE (as it is sometimes called in shorthand) is bottled at cask strength, which in this instance is 109.3. Despite that being on the low side (Four Roses cask strength releases generally are), it’s actually bit hot left as is, so I recommend a few drops of water.
The scent is dominated by the cookie spice blend, ginger and cinnamon in the main, with the ultra-aged, 23 year old really kicking in despite its modest volume, adding a tannic, oaky note coupled to a dash of black pepper. The flavor turns sweeter, especially once one dials the heat down with a little water. Caramel and nougat, the filling of a Milky Way bar, assert themselves; meanwhile, the spicy side develops a more herbaceous character, turning to spearmint as much as cookie spice. All this is skewered on an oaky, tannic and peppery splinter. That last aspect is what carries into the finish, with the sweet side fading fast and the slightly bitter, spicier and woody aspect lingering for a spell.
Despite not drawing on the spicy mash Four Roses has available to it and using the K yeast, noted for being only mildly spicy, this is a quite ballsy entry to the Small Batch LE series. Folks who want a ballsy pour over a mellow one should greatly appreciate its virtues.
The Price
This time Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition had a production run of 16,800 bottles and officially priced at $250.
