Four Roses 135th Anniversary 2023

Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2023 Release - 700 mL)

Cork Detail
Four Roses 135th Anniversary engraved rose cluster cork detail.

Price

$449.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 12 - 25 Years (Blend of 12, 14, 16, & 25 Year) | Region: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky | Proof: 108

Size

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

108

Proof

54%

ABV

12–25yr

Batch ages

Batches

16th

Edition

15,060

Bottles announced

Made for the brand's 135th anniversary, the 2023 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch combines four batches aged 12, 14, 16 and 25 years from three of the distillery's ten recipes, chosen by Master Distiller Brent Elliott and bottled at 108 proof (54% ABV) as a Kentucky straight bourbon. Four Roses released it on 15 September 2023 as the 16th edition of the annual series and announced approximately 15,060 hand-numbered bottles.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

The 25-year-old OBSV is the oldest bourbon used in any edition of the annual Limited Edition Small Batch, from the first in 2008 through the 2026 release. It is 5% of the blend.

Four batches, three recipes: 40% a 14-year-old OESK, 35% a 12-year-old OESV, 20% a 16-year-old OESV and 5% the 25-year-old OBSV.

Elliott balanced the 12-, 14- and 16-year-old batches against one another first, then tried other batches for a fourth and chose the 25-year-old for the complexity and depth he said it added.

Barrel strength at 108 proof (54% ABV), bottled without chill filtration.

Four Roses dates its name to 1888, when Paul Jones Jr. trademarked it; the 2023 edition marked 135 years.

Four Roses' updated logo and a rose cluster engraved on the cork were new to the bottle in 2023.

Nº 02

The Series

Sixteen editions by 2023

The annual series dates to 2008, when its first bottling carried the Mariage Collection name; the 2023 release was the sixteenth, and Four Roses issued it to mark 135 years of the brand. Brent Elliott, Master Distiller since 2015, chose its four batches, and the release named each one by recipe and age, from a 12-year-old OESV to the 25-year-old OBSV.

Nº 03

The Blend

Four batches, three recipes

40% · 14 years

OESK

The E mash bill — 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley — with the K yeast, which Four Roses lists as slight spice. The largest share of the blend.

35% · 12 years

OESV

The same E mash bill with the V yeast, delicate fruit: the youngest batch in the bottle.

20% · 16 years

OESV

The OESV recipe again, from a batch four years older.

5% · 25 years

OBSV

The B mash bill — 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley — with the V yeast. Elliott added it last, after the other three were in balance.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Four Roses' note & position

Sensory Profile

Four Roses' note for the 135th Anniversary edition: allspice, vanilla and oak on the nose, with cinnamon and clove behind them; honey, vanilla and rye spice on the palate, set against ripe berries and pear; a long, mellow finish.

Strategic Position

Within the series, 2023 is the 135th-anniversary edition, and its blend leans on the E mash bill: 95% of it comes from the three E-recipe batches, with the higher-rye B mash bill present only in the 25-year-old. Taste it neat before reaching for water, then add it a few drops at a time.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

→

Two Bottles

Midnight Whiskey stocks the edition in two sizes: a 750 mL bottle and a 700 mL export bottle, labelled 70 cl, with Kirin Europe GmbH of Düsseldorf named on its back label and 135th Anniversary, Est. 1888 | 2023 on its neck. Both hold the edition's 108-proof (54% ABV) blend, and Four Roses hand-numbered every bottle.

→

The Following Year

Four Roses' next edition, the 2024 edition at 108.2 proof, drew four batches from three recipes, aged 12 to 20 years, its oldest a 20-year-old OBSV.

Collector IndexFour Roses · 2023

Edition: 16th Limited Edition Small Batch
Released: 15 September 2023
Proof / ABV: 108 / 54%
Batches: 4 across 3 recipes
Oldest batch: 25-year-old OBSV
Bottles announced: About 15,060, hand-numbered
Master Distiller: Brent Elliott

Browse the bourbon collection, anniversary and annual releases alike.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Release	135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch — the 16th annual edition
Released	15 September 2023
Proof / ABV	108 proof (54% ABV)
Strength	Barrel strength · non-chill filtered
Batches	40% 14-year OESK · 35% 12-year OESV · 20% 16-year OESV · 5% 25-year OBSV
Age range	12 to 25 years
Mash bills	E: 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley · B: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley
Yeast strains	V (delicate fruit) · K (slight spice)
Bottles announced	Approximately 15,060, hand-numbered
Suggested retail	$199.99 at release
Master Distiller	Brent Elliott
Distilled and aged by	Four Roses Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Format	700 mL (70 cl export bottle) · 750 mL

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Four Roses makes ten bourbon recipes by pairing two mash bills — B, at 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley, and E, at 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley — with five proprietary yeast strains. Each recipe carries a four-letter code: O for distillation at Four Roses, then the mash bill, S for straight whiskey, and the yeast. The barrels age in single-story rack warehouses at Cox's Creek, where Four Roses puts the difference between top and bottom racks at about 8°F. For the 2023 edition, Elliott combined OESK, OESV and OBSV batches, and the blend was bottled at barrel strength without chill filtration.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the oldest bourbon in the Four Roses 135th Anniversary?

Four Roses' 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch (2023) reaches back to a 25-year-old OBSV, which makes up 5% of the blend. The other three batches are a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old OESV and a 14-year-old OESK.

What proof is the Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch?

Four Roses bottled the 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch, its 2023 edition, at barrel strength: 108 proof, 54% ABV, non-chill filtered. The four batches were blended before bottling, so every bottle of the edition carries the same strength.

When was the Four Roses 135th Anniversary released?

Four Roses launched its 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch on 15 September 2023 as the 16th edition of the annual series, marking 135 years since Paul Jones Jr. trademarked the Four Roses name in 1888. It went to select retailers, and a small quantity was sold through a public lottery at the Four Roses Distillery Visitor Center.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Four Roses · 135th Anniversary

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Limited Edition Small Batch

The Elemental Distinction

The Series

The Blend

OESK

OESV

OESV

OBSV