A little background

Four Roses celebrated their 130th anniversary by making a very special blend of a 10 year OBSV, 13 year OBSF, 14 year old OESV, and 16 year old OESK. The blend of these recipes was intended to give the whiskey a deep, dark flavor that differentiates itself from the normal light, floral, and fruity flavors that Four Roses normally possesses. Brent Elliot, Master Distiller of Four Roses, wanted to also highlight the F and V strains. He added an old, spicier batch to increase the overall complexity of the whiskey. Approximately 13,140 bottles were made at 108.3 proof, and could be found at an MSRP of $140.

(Tasted neat from a Halo Glass)

Color

Amber

Nose

Picture this: you are walking through a pine forest in the middle of autumn, eating apricots. In the distance, a grandma in a wood cabin is making a homemade cherry pie. That is exactly what this whiskey smells like. A very faint hint of green apples comes in, along with some toffee, blackcurrant and plum. The nose is deep and full of flavor, I could live inside of it.

Palate

The palate is thick and oily. Apricot, oak spice and something like fried dough are at the front of the palate. Dark cherries (kind of like that cherry pie taste), toffee, and dates come in for an incredibly dark, fruity mid and back palate experience. The flavors coat the entire palate and hang onto it tightly. A very slight hint of chocolate comes in at the end of the palate, making it very well rounded, deep, and complex.

Finish

The finish is long and deep. Flavors of cherry, pie crust, plums, and oak spice cover every single part of the palate. It just keeps rolling into more flavors like milk chocolate and apricot at the end of the finish. You can take several minutes in-between sips and be fully satisfied.

In closing

Brent Elliot did an absolutely incredible job blending this whiskey. It is deep, dark, complex, and full of amazing flavors. I wish I could drink this all of the time. It definitely showcases the different recipes from Four Roses in a wonderful way. I only wish I could have got more than one bottle of this. The value is through the roof, there are not many better whiskies at this price point. If you have not tried Four Roses 130th yet, definitely seek it out!