Four Roses Spicy & Fruity

Distillery:		Four Roses
Age:		NAS
Proof:		113 (56.5% ABV)
Price:		JPY 300

In the mid 2000s, Four Roses released a set of mini-bottles to demonstrate the versatility of the its different recipes. Each bottle contained one of Four Roses' ten recipes. Instead of listing the recipe (e.g., OBSK) each bottle was give a descriptor such as "spicy," "fruity" or "floral."

I asked Four Roses for more information about the specific recipes contained in these bottles. I received a response from Brent Elliot in which he said that he didn't know the mash bill of these bottles, but that his guess was that the "spicy" was the "K" yeast and the "fruity" was the "O" yeast.

I have only encountered bottles with the descriptors "spicy," "fruity" and "floral." I believe these were the only bottles released, but I cannot be sure.

Four Roses Spicy

The color is amber, a little lighter than the Fruity (see below). There are notes of apple, wet cardboard, vanilla and honey on the nose. The flavor is a departure from the nose. The bourbon is slightly salty with a little bit of peanut butter sweetness and caramel. There are also interesting vegetal flavors, like asparagus. The mouthfeel is thick and satisfying. The finish is short, with notes of vanilla, caramel and Sichuan pepper.

Four Roses Fruity

The color is copper - noticeably dark. The nose has notes of lemon, apple, wet cardboard (again) and cola. There is also something slightly metallic. This bourbon is very very hot on the tongue. There are again vegetal asparagus notes, but this time these notes are complemented by notes of black cherry, leather, vanilla and a little bit of pepper. The finish, in contrast to the "spicy" is long and lingering with notes of plum and black cherry. It remains very hot on the finish.

Conclusion: All in all, these are essentially early versions of the Four Roses Private Selections.