A 23-year-old bourbon in a small batch blend is rare. Four Roses has put one at the heart of its 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch, and it lands on 10 October.
This is the 19th edition of the distillery’s most-watched annual release, bottled at barrel strength and non-chill filtered at 109.2 proof, which works out to 54.6% ABV. Master Distiller Brent Elliott has built it from four hand-selected batches aged between 14 and 23 years, drawn from three of Four Roses’ ten bourbon recipes. Around 16,800 bottles will be released at a suggested retail price of $249.
The key facts
Release date: 10 October 2026
ABV: 54.6% (109.2 proof), barrel strength, non-chill filtered
Age: four batches, 14 to 23 years old
Recipes: OBSK, OESK, OESV and a 23-year-old OESK
Bottle count: approximately 16,800
Price: $249 (US SRP)
Availability: select US retailers and the Four Roses Visitor Centers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, while supplies last
What is inside the blend
The Limited Edition Small Batch is a blending exercise, and the recipe mix is the story every year. Four Roses distils ten distinct bourbon recipes from two mashbills and five proprietary yeast strains, each recipe carrying its own character. For 2026, Elliott reached for four batches across three of those recipes.
The four-letter recipe codes tell you what is in the glass. The second letter is the mashbill: B is the high-rye mashbill at 35% rye, E is the lower-rye mashbill at 20% rye. The final letter is the yeast strain, where K contributes a slight spice and V leans toward delicate fruit.
Here is how the 2026 blend breaks down.
| OBSK | OESK | OESV | OESK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 14 years | 14 years | 15 years | 23 years |
| Mashbill | High rye (35%) | Low rye (20%) | Low rye (20%) | Low rye (20%) |
| Yeast character | Slight spice | Slight spice | Delicate fruit | Slight spice |
The presence of a 23-year-old batch is what sets this edition apart. Bourbon ages far faster than Scotch thanks to Kentucky’s swings between hot summers and cold winters, which push spirit in and out of the charred oak. Two decades in that climate is a long time, and getting a batch to hold its balance rather than tip into raw tannin is the real achievement here.
Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch official tasting notes
The bottle is not in our hands yet, so these are the distillery’s stated notes rather than a Daily Whisky verdict. We will taste and score it once it reaches us.
Nose: apricot, light and elegant oak
Palate: baking spice, honey, delicate wood tones
Finish: lingering fruit, vanilla, caramel, integrated oak, signature mellow spice
ABV: 54.6% (109.2 proof)
Type: Kentucky straight bourbon, new charred oak, non-chill filtered
Price: $249
Who makes it
Four Roses has distilled in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky since 1888. Its house method is unusual: two mashbills combined with five yeast strains to produce ten separate bourbon recipes, each with a distinct flavour profile, with warehousing at Cox’s Creek. That recipe system is exactly what the annual Small Batch draws on, which is why each year’s blend can taste meaningfully different from the last.
The distillery has a strong record at international competition, including being named World’s Best Single Barrel at the World Whiskies Awards. Brent Elliott has overseen the recipe selection for the Limited Edition Small Batch across recent years, and he has framed the 2026 release as a return to a tradition after a year of more experimental bottlings from the distillery.
Price, availability and getting one outside the US
At $249 for a barrel-strength blend carrying a 23-year-old component, this sits in premium annual-release territory rather than the everyday shelf. For context, that is roughly €230, £185 or around 1,700 DKK at current rates, though that figure is the US suggested price and the number you actually pay will depend on where you are.
The release is a US allocation: select retailers nationwide and the Four Roses Visitor Centers from 10 October, while supplies last. There is no official international distribution for this bottle, so collectors in Europe, the UK and the Nordics typically source Four Roses Limited Edition releases through specialist retailers that import American bourbon, or on the secondary market. Expect to pay above the $249 SRP once it crosses the Atlantic, and expect it to move quickly. Roughly 16,800 bottles is not a large number spread across a national market.
If you want one at retail price, the move is to be ready on 10 October rather than a week later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch? It is the 19th edition of Four Roses’ annual barrel-strength small batch bourbon, released 10 October 2026. Master Distiller Brent Elliott blended it from four batches aged 14 to 23 years, using three of the distillery’s ten bourbon recipes. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 54.6% ABV.
What does the 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch taste like? According to Four Roses, the nose leads with apricot and light, elegant oak. The palate shows baking spice, honey and delicate wood tones, and the finish lingers with fruit, vanilla and caramel over integrated oak and the distillery’s signature mellow spice. We will publish our own tasting notes once we have tasted it.
How much does the Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch cost? The suggested US retail price is $249, roughly €230 or £185 at current exchange rates. That is the official price at US retailers and the distillery. International buyers sourcing through importers or the secondary market should expect to pay more, as the bottle has no official distribution outside the US.
Where can I buy the Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch? It goes on sale 10 October 2026 at select US retailers and the Four Roses Visitor Centers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, while supplies last. There is no official international release, so buyers elsewhere generally rely on specialist bourbon importers or auctions.
How many bottles of the 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch are there? Four Roses is releasing approximately 16,800 bottles worldwide. Combined with the barrel-strength format and the 23-year-old component, that limited run is why the release tends to sell through quickly.
Is the Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch barrel strength? Yes. It is bottled at barrel strength and non-chill filtered, at 109.2 proof, which is 54.6% ABV. Nothing is added to bring it down in strength, so a splash of water is a reasonable way to open it up in the glass.
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