Four Roses OBSK Single Barrel Bourbon KE 63-4N Review

Four Roses has 10 unique bourbon recipes that they make at their distiller in Lawrenceburg, KY. There are five different yeast strains (F,K,O,Q,V) used and two different mash bills (B,E) use to comprise the 10 different recipes. This gives Four Roses a lot of flavor profiles to work with when blending their bourbons or for single barrel releases!

The Yeasts:

F – Herbal Notes (Tobacco, Rye, Mint, Earthy)

K – Slight Spice (Baking Spices, Rye, Full Body)

O – Rich Fruit (Berries, Stone Fruit)

Q – Floral Essence (Floral, Rye, recipe most influenced by the barrel)

V – Delicate Fruit (Lighter fruit notes, Creamy)

The Mashbills:

B – 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley

E – 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley

Single barrels can vary greatly and that is why they are so intriguing! I will review each of the 10 Four Roses unique recipes and try to speak on the different flavor profiles and tasting notes of each. Again there are so many different variables from proof, age, distillation run, warehouse location, tier location, the wood in the barrel as well as the seasons that this particular barrel aged! Some summers are warmer than others and some winters are cooler than others.

Four Roses OBSK Bourbon Single Barrel 9 year 2 month 59.0% KE 63-4N

Color – Light copper

Aroma – Sweetness coming through as some Carmel and sweet oak with the rye with a spicy/pepper note, hints of cinnamon 

Taste – The pallet explodes with spice, cinnamon, oak

Finish – I enjoyed the finish, the rye lingers in the chest for a moderate length of time, again the spiciness dominates. 

Rating – 8.4/10

This is a spice bomb due to the great combo from the K yeast and the high rye B mashbill. The higher proof also gives this pour a kick, but this is a great example of the type of bottle that taught me the difference between the alcohol kick, K yeast spice and rye spice. All three can make your mouth tingle but they are in different ways and produce different tastes. In my opinion the alcohol is all tingle and warmth. The K yeast provides a tingle but that pairs with sensations of baking spices, cinnamon and allspice. The rye sensation is slightly different sensation compared to the previous two still providing a tingle/warmth and can add tastes like cinnamon, mint, black pepper, clove and tobacco. It is hard to explain in words and you really have to taste a lot of bourbon and do side-by-side comparisons. Blinds are good but side-by-sides provide a lot of learning opportunities. I think aging this a few more years could take this to another level but a pour that I thoroughly enjoyed.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect