Four Roses ages 10 different bourbon recipes in their warehouses (5 different yeast strains and 2 different mashbills). This is very unique and gives the bourbon drinker 10 different flavor profiles to choose from. I love Four Roses and depending on the day, my mood or the food I have had I can reach for a sweet fruity bourbon, a savory spicy bourbon, a bourbon that literally has hints of floral notes or a herbal earthy bourbon.
How To Determine The Four Roses Recipes
Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott oversees the distillation and maturation of all the bourbon at the Lawerenceburg Distillery and the Cox’s Creek warehouse and bottling facility. There is a low rye (OE) mashbill that consists of 75% Corn, 20% Rye and 5% Malted Barley and a high rye (OB) mashbill consisting of 60% corn, 35% Rye and 5% Malted Barley.
The five yeast strains are:
- F herbal/earthy/mint
- K baking spices/cinnamon/pepper/
- O ripe red berries/stone fruit
- Q floral
- V ligher fruit notes/creamy
When we combine the information from the mashbill and the yeast strain we can determine the recipe. The first and third letters are always the same O_S_ with the second and fourth letters changing based on the mashbill and recipe. The second letter will either be E (low rye mashbill) or B (high rye mashbill). The fourth letter will indicate the yeast strain. I have an in-depth review of How To Read A Four Roses Label.
The bourbon I am going to taste through in this review is OESF (low rye mashbill with a herbal/earthy yeast strain). The K, O and V yeast strains are, in my onion, the most sought after and most consistent. The F and Q recipes can be great but can be a little more hit or miss. I love OBSF and think it is one of the most underrated Four Roses recipes, but OESF is probably one of the least talked about of the 10 recipes.
Four Roses OESF Bourbon Single Barrel 9 year 3 month 60.7% MW 79-4E
Color – Light amber.
Aroma – Fairly intense oak and tobacco dominate the nose. Alcohol tinges the nostril, not overpowering but it is hot. Hints of leather.
Taste – Nice mouthfeel, tobacco and leather predominant and the rye spice pops. The alcohol is present but not overpowering.
Finish – Decent finish, I was expecting more especially after the wonderful nose, flavors on the palate and amount of alcohol.
Rating – 8.4/10
Thoughts – The F yeast shines in this barrel and offers a lot with the nose and on the palate but falls short on finish. Surprising considering the amount of alcohol in this, I expected more. The lower amount of rye in the E recipe normally allows the yeast qualities to come forward a little more vs the B recipe. The F yeast is not as popular among Four Roses fans as the V, O and K yeasts but I really enjoy the F notes. I think one of the reasons people normally gravitate towards bourbon are fruit notes (many Buffalo Trace products, O and V yeasts from Four Roses), oak notes (most bourbons aged more than four years, the degree depending on age) or the tobacco, leather type notes. The recipes with the F yeast in them knock that last category out of the park and is why I seek out and continue to keep Four Roses OBSF and OESF single barrels on my bar.
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
Debonair Gentlemen 
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