Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition releases have become some of the most anticipated bottles in the bourbon calendar, and the 2017 edition is no exception. Bottled at a punchy 53.9% ABV, this is a whiskey that means business — barrel proof, uncut, and unapologetic about it. For those unfamiliar with Four Roses' approach, they work with ten distinct bourbon recipes, combining two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains, and their Limited Edition Small Batch releases blend select barrels from across that range. It's an approach that gives their master distiller an enormous palette to work with, and the results speak for themselves year after year.
At £495, this sits firmly in collector territory. Let's be honest about that upfront. You're paying a premium for a bottle that's now several years old and increasingly hard to find. But context matters here — when this was released, it was a fraction of that price, and the secondary market has done what secondary markets do. The question isn't whether it's worth £495 in some abstract sense. It's whether the liquid inside justifies the hunt.
Tasting Notes
I'm not going to pretend I can give you a definitive breakdown of every aroma and flavour — bourbon at this proof shifts and changes with every sip, every degree of temperature, every minute in the glass. What I will say is that the 2017 Limited Edition sits squarely in that sweet spot Four Roses has mastered: structured enough to reward slow sipping, approachable enough that you don't need a PhD in distilling to enjoy it. At 53.9%, there's real weight and intensity here, but Four Roses has always had a knack for making high-proof bourbon feel less aggressive than the number on the label suggests. A few drops of water open things up considerably — don't be afraid to experiment.
The Verdict
I gave this a 7.9 out of 10, and here's my reasoning. The liquid itself is genuinely excellent — this is a well-constructed, barrel-proof bourbon from one of Kentucky's most consistent distilleries, blended from recipes that most producers would love to have access to even one of. The craftsmanship is undeniable. Where I hold back slightly is the price-to-value equation at current market rates. If you're lucky enough to find this at or near its original retail, that score climbs significantly. At £495, you're paying a collector's tax, and while the bourbon delivers, I have to be fair to readers who want to know whether they should pull the trigger at today's prices. For a special occasion or a serious collection, absolutely. As an everyday drinker, you can find outstanding bourbon for a fifth of the cost.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn or a good rocks glass and give it five minutes to breathe. Barrel-proof bourbon this well-made deserves the full experience before you start adding anything. That said, if you do want to bring the proof down, a small splash of filtered water — we're talking a teaspoon at most — can unlock layers you'd otherwise miss. And if you're feeling bold, a Four Roses Limited Edition Old Fashioned with a single sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura, and an expressed orange peel is one of the finest cocktails you'll ever make. Just promise me you won't drown it in simple syrup.
