When pairing a cigar with a highly allocated bourbon, the goal isn't simply finding a cigar that won't overpower the whiskey. The best pairings create a conversation where each component elevates the other. For this review, I paired the highly sought-after 2025 release of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch with the Oliva Serie V, one of the most respected full-bodied cigars on the market.

The result was a pairing that delivered layers of fruit, spice, sweetness, and richness while allowing both the bourbon and cigar to shine.

The Bourbon

The 2025 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is bottled at barrel strength (109 proof) and combines four mature recipes, including 13-year-old OBSV, OESV, OBSK, and a 19-year-old OESV component. The blend was designed to showcase Four Roses' signature fruit-forward profile while adding additional depth from older barrels. Official tasting notes highlight apricot, vanilla, caramel, rye spice, and antique oak.

Tasting Notes

Nose:
Fresh apricot, ripe pear, vanilla custard, caramelized sugar, black tea, and aged oak. Beneath the sweetness is a delicate floral note that is unmistakably Four Roses.

Palate:
Rich caramel and crème brûlée arrive first before transitioning into stone fruits, honey, baking spices, and mature oak. The mouthfeel is exceptionally creamy for a barrel-strength bourbon.

Finish:
Long and elegant with lingering cinnamon, oak, clove, and a gentle rye spice that slowly fades into sweet vanilla.

The Cigar

The Oliva Serie V is a Nicaraguan puro known for delivering bold flavors without sacrificing balance.

Tasting Notes

First Third:
Black pepper, espresso, dark chocolate, and cedar dominate early.

Second Third:
The pepper softens while rich cocoa, roasted nuts, and leather emerge.

Final Third:
Earth, espresso, dark chocolate, and lingering baking spices create a robust finish.

The cigar maintains a medium-full to full-bodied profile throughout while producing thick, flavorful smoke.

The Pairing Experience

First Third

The first sip of the Four Roses immediately softens the pepper-forward opening of the Serie V.

The bourbon's apricot and caramel notes create an almost chocolate-covered fruit character when combined with the cigar's cocoa and espresso profile. The fruit notes become more vibrant than they appeared when sipping the bourbon alone.

At the same time, the cigar gains a touch of sweetness that rounds off some of its sharper spice edges.

Advantage: Bourbon

The whiskey experiences the most noticeable improvement in this stage.

Second Third

This is where the pairing truly comes together.

As the cigar develops richer chocolate and roasted nut flavors, the bourbon's vanilla and crème brûlée notes become more pronounced. The combination creates a dessert-like experience reminiscent of chocolate-covered almonds drizzled with caramel.

The mature oak present in the bourbon begins to mirror the cigar's leather and cedar notes, creating remarkable harmony between the two.

Neither component dominates.

Instead, they begin working together to create flavors neither offers independently.

Final Third

The final third introduces more earthiness and spice from the Serie V.

Rather than competing with those stronger flavors, the Four Roses responds with its rye spice and mature oak character. The cigar amplifies the bourbon's baking spice notes while the whiskey adds sweetness that keeps the cigar from becoming overly dry or tannic.

One of the most enjoyable developments was how the bourbon's fruit character remained present even late in the cigar. Many pairings lose fruit notes once the cigar intensifies, but the Four Roses maintained its identity from start to finish.

Interaction Analysis

How the Bourbon Changed the Cigar

• Reduced the sharpness of the opening pepper.
• Enhanced cocoa and dark chocolate flavors.
• Added perceived sweetness throughout the smoke.
• Made the cigar feel creamier and more refined.

How the Cigar Changed the Bourbon

• Elevated baking spice notes.
• Increased oak complexity.
• Enhanced the perception of mature barrel influence.
• Added depth to the finish without masking the fruit-forward profile.

Final Verdict

The Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2025 is already an exceptional bourbon on its own, showcasing the distillery's signature fruit-forward profile layered with mature oak and elegant spice. The Oliva Serie V proves to be an outstanding companion because it complements those characteristics rather than overpowering them.

What makes this pairing particularly successful is balance. The cigar's richness highlights the bourbon's sweetness, while the whiskey's fruit and caramel soften the cigar's bolder edges.

For enthusiasts fortunate enough to own a bottle of the 2025 Limited Edition, the Oliva Serie V is one of the best readily available cigars to accompany it.

Pairing Scorecard

Category	Score
Flavor Compatibility	9.4/10
Balance	9.2/10
Complexity	9.5/10
Strength Match	9.3/10
Evolution Throughout Experience	9.4/10

Final Pairing Score: 9.4/10

A luxurious pairing where Four Roses' elegant fruit and mature oak meet the Oliva Serie V's rich chocolate, espresso, and spice profile. Both become better together than they are apart.