Taste Test: Four Roses’ New Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon Is One of the Year’s Best Whiskeys

Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review. It’s September, and that means that bourbon‘s greatest hits are starting to roll out once again in the form of the limited-edition annual releases that drop every fall. These whiskeys promise a lot based on their reputation, so when they don’t deliver it can be pretty disappointing to the whiskey world. But we have some good news—the new Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon not only delivers, but far surpasses expectations. In fact, it’s a contender for one of the best bourbons of the year, but—as usual—it might not be so easy to find a bottle. Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is different every year, so it’s helpful to provide the basic details about the latest release. It’s a blend of four of the distillery’s ten recipes (made from two mashbills and five different yeast strains): 14-year-old OBSK (31 percent), 14-year-old OESK (39 percent), 15-year-old OESV (20 percent), and 23-year-old OESK (10 percent). All of these component whiskeys are much older than regular Four Roses bourbon, which is usually aged between five and seven years, and the final blend was bottled at 109.2 proof. According to master distiller Brent Elliott, that minimal addition of the 23-year-old bourbon to the blend anchors deep oak flavors without it becoming the main focal point. “It’s not enough to overpower or shift the dynamic from the vibrant, interesting notes that you usually get with the younger bourbon,” he said during a recent media Zoom tasting. And I think he’s spot on here. This is just a superb bourbon. Right out of the gate, a burst of sweet caramel hits you as you take a sip. That slowly evolves into spice, a fruit basket of apple, peach, and raspberry, along with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and orange peel. The palate is incredibly balanced, leaning one way then pulling back and heading off in a different direction. Ultimately, this is the best version of this whiskey that I’ve tried—at least as far as I can remember. Truthfully, that’s kind of hard to say without trying a few batches side by side, but I stand by that sentiment because no other edition of this bourbon has hit me with the same immediacy that this one did. Of course, as usual Four Roses LE Small Batch is probably going to be a difficult bottle to find. 16,800 are being released with a suggested retail price of $250, and you can find one at the distillery visitor center or select retailers beginning on October 10. Your best bet is to probably to peruse secondary market websites if your local liquor store doesn’t traffic in fine spirits, but the good news is that past releases are actually selling for not too much more than the list price. It remains to be seen how that will play out with this new edition, but if you stumble upon one in the wild this is a bourbon that is absolutely worth the splurge. Score: 98 - 100 Worth trading your first born for - 95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet - 90 – 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram - 85 – 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market - 80 – 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable - Below 80 It’s Alright: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours with this