Four Roses Single Barrel

A little background

Four Roses Single Barrel is bottled at 100 proof and carries a retail price of about $50. It is distilled in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky by Four Roses Distillery LLC. Four Roses uses two distinct mashbills and five yeast strains, which in total delivers ten unique mshbill recipes. Mashbill E is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley while mashbill B is 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley. The five yeast strains are named V (delicate fruit), O (rich fruit), F (herbal notes), K (slight spice), and Q (floral essence). The letter “O” in each recipe denotes Four Roses Distillery while the “S” in each recipe denotes Straight Whiskey. The resulting 10 recipes are named OBSK, OBSQ, OBSO, OBSF, OBSV, OESK, OESQ, OESO, OESF, and OESV. Four Roses Single Barrel uses the OBSV recipe and is aged for around 10 years. Four Roses is unique in that it releases limited barrel proof offerings for all 10 of their recipes.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

The nose has floral notes of lovely flowers, dark cherry, pear, caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Palate

The palate is excellent with notes of caramel, toffee, pear, apple, dark cherry, vanilla, and cinnamon. All of the flavors are very developed and distinct. The bourbon has a medium viscosity and coats the entire palate before dissipating. When you add water, the flavors hold up. This pour would be absolutely fantastic in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan as the bourbon flavors would shine through.

Finish

The bourbon has a medium finish with the floral notes from the palate carrying through. As the bourbon finishes, there is a transition where the notes go from being more floral to sweeter notes of caramel and cherry. The bourbon has good complexity as it mingles together notes of flowers, sweetness, and spice in a balanced manner.

In conclusion

To me, Four Roses SIngle Barrel is a quintessential bourbon. It has all of the flavors you would look for in a bourbon while being well balanced and maintaining its complexity. You won’t be disappointed about picking up a bottle of this at the $50 price point, as this truly is a standout bourbon at that price point.