Four Roses Single Barrel In-Depth Review

Four Roses Throughout The Years

Four Roses Single Barrel as we know it today is a very important part of the modern history of Four Roses Bourbon. Four Roses has a long and fascinating history but a major turning point was when the company was sold to Seagrams in 1943. In the late 1950’s Seagrams decided to stop the sale of Four Roses in the United States to focus on the quickly growing European and Asian markets. During this time Seagrams diminished the quality of Four Roses moving away from a Kentucky Straight Bourbon and placing cheaper, lower aged, poor quality blended whiskey into the bottles. The brand’s quality was greatly diminished overseas and nearly forgotten about in the United States.

Fast forward to 2002 Kirin Brewing Company out of Japan purchased Four Roses. Even though the brand’s identity had been diminished, in Japan Four Roses was still held in high regard. Once Kirin purchased Four Roses they decided to bring the brand back to America, and with the leadership of then Master Distiller Jim Rutledge developed a strategy for reintroduction. Four Roses 100 proof single barrel was one of the two bottles offered by Four Roses when they were reintroduced into the United States (the other bottle being the standard Four Roses Bourbon) and they were only distributed in Kentucky at the time.

How To Read A Four Roses Recipe

One of my favorite things that Four Roses offers consumers is excellent transparency. Every Four Roses 100 Proof Single Barrel is the OBSV recipe (one of ten unique Four Roses recipes). The O stands for “Old Prentice Distillery” which is what Four Roses distillery used to be called. The B is for the mash bill used (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley). The S is for straight whiskey. Last, the V is for the yeast strain used to ferment the distillate and it adds notes of light fruit. OBSV. I will note that on all ten of the Four Roses recipe codes, the first and third letters are always the same O__S__. The second and fourth letters will change depending on the mash bill and yeast used. The five different yeasts and two mash bills create the ten different recipes. I have an in-depth review of How To Read A Four Roses Label for more information.

All 100 proof Single Barrels are in the 7-9 year old range. They also all list the rickhouse location and barrel information on the small label on the front bottom on the bottle. This particular bottle was aged in the south (S) side of warehouse C, on the 51st rick, the 1st tier in the third (C) position. When I was shopping for this bottle I selected a 1st tier bottle on purpose. In general, the barrels aged on lower tiers have a lower ABV and the higher tiers have a higher ABV. This is mainly due to the temperature variations in the warehouses. The reason I wanted a tier 1 barrel, is that for the Four Roses Single Barrel to reach 100 proof less water has to be added to reach that mark compared to a higher tier, higher proof barrel. Therefore you are getting as close to the bourbon that was aging in the barrel as possible. Let’s see what this single barrel has to offer!

Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel 100 Proof Review

Color – Light amber with hints of bright Cooper

Aroma – I get a nice dark fruit note, cherry or plum, with a small amount of spice and a tinge of alcohol. Not complex but nice.

Taste – This has a nice viscous mouthfeel. This is the first note I picked up on before taste. Silky smooth. This has a nice sweetness followed by rye spice. I get very little vanilla but loads of oak and caramel. Light fruit notes of fresh apples and pears.

Finish – I get a finish with medium intensity/length, traveling down your chest and warming you up. Caramel, light fruit notes and rye sit on the palate and linger for just long enough.

Rating – 6.8/10

Single barrels can vary greatly but this specific bottle is a winner. For a $40-50 bottle that is almost always available, this is an instant recommendation to anybody. Great mouthfeel, light fruit sweetness that any bourbon lover can enjoy. At 100 proof this is very approachable for a new bourbon drinker or a veteran. I do tend to prefer a little more proof and age on my bourbons, this the 6.8/10. If you cannot find the Barrel Strength Single Barrel bottle, this is as close as it gets and a decent substitute. The barrel strength version normally has more age on it (8-12 years old) and a much higher ABV.

This bottle can be drank neat, with ice or would make a great cocktail but I recommend neat. I love the bottle design with the embossed roses front and center in the glass and it feels great in your hand. As far as best values in bourbon, I rank this bottle right there with Russel’s 10 year old bourbon as affordable, easy to find and high quality.

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