To create this marquis annual bottling by Master Distiller Brent Elliott, multiple parcels of Four Roses stocks are chosen to make a final blend representing the pinnacle of the distillery’s whiskey program.
It’s for this reason the stakes are high. But while these annual LE Small Batches have certainly delighted critics and the bourbon geekdom in the past, does this 2024 bottling meet such high-level expectations?
What makes Four Roses unique stems from its 10 bourbon recipes. Their whiskey inventory is created by two mashbills and 5 individual yeast strains. The first grain recipe is high rye, made from 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley. The second mashbill is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. Rye spice notes are a staple in Four Roses’ overall flavor profile. Each yeast strain is designed to impart specific flavors, including delicate fruit, slight spice, rich fruit, floral essence, and herbal.
Creating this 2024 Limited Edition begins with about 20-25 batches ranging between 10-100 earmarked bourbon barrels, ranging in age between 10-20 years. From there, Elliott singles out whiskeys as a base, then layers flavors on top to eventually create a final expression. The entire process takes about 6-8 weeks. The final result in 2024 comprises four batches from three recipes, 69% aged between 15 and 20 years, and the balance is 12 years old. Here is the breakdown:
• 39% OESF Recipe (delicate fruit); 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley; aged 16 Years• 31% OBSV Recipe (gentle spice): 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley; aged 12 Years• 23% OESK Recipe (slight spice): 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley; aged 15 Years• 7% OBSV Recipe (delicate fruit): 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley; aged 20 Years
This blend is bottled barrel strength at 54.1% ABV and non-chill filtered. While the distillery is releasing over 16,000 bottles nationally, it will first be available at the Four Roses Visitor Center on September 14th in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
What They Say
• Breaking Bourbon: 4/5 Barrels (Very good)
• Breaking Banter: Bottle (or Bust)
• Vine Pair: 96/100
• The Whiskey Reviewer: A-
What We Say
Color: Golden copper.
Nose: Aromas hit you in the face with gorgeous layers of juicy fruit, spice, honey, and vanilla, with a backbone of oak and just a hint of floral.
Palate: Layers of spice wake up the front palate before the dark fruit comes in and balances out the whole scene. Big cinnamon, allspice, herbs, and a dose of oak mingle with aforementioned plums, juicy fruit gum, and mixed berries. But there is a nice harmony here, as no element feels overstated. It’s big, bold, and tangy but wrapped in a round mouthfeel that takes the edge off the 54% ABV.
Finish: Long and spiced with more cinnamon and a lively, tangy fruit note that belies the elevated age of the bourbon. The lush mouthfeel hangs around and doesn’t want to leave, and I don’t want it to. But alas, another sip.
It’s whiskey like this that reminds me why I love bourbon. This year’s Four Roses 2024 Limited Edition Small Batch is layered, complex, fruity, spice-laden, and beautifully balanced with oak and classic vanilla. The flavor-packed 108.2 proof is heavy-handed on ABV but not overly so, making it palatable for neat sipping or robust enough to hold ice or water. The punchy finish is a lovely cap on a quality bourbon. While the $220 price is steeper than years past, this is a fine choice if you want to splurge on something special.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
★ Not Recommended
★★ Recommended
★★★ Highly recommended
★★★★ Excellent
★★★★★ Ethereal
John McCarthy is a spirit, travel, and lifestyle journalist, managing editor, and author of The Modern Gentleman and Whiskey Rebels: The Dreamers, Visionaries & Badasses Who Are Revolutionizing American Whiskey. McCarthy is also editor of Barleycorn Drinks and Director of Judging of the John Barleycorn Awards.
