BOTM 02/25 Four Roses Single Barrel

[Jazz June]

The Straight Bourbon.com Bourbon of the Month (BotM) is a fun way to discuss a specific American whiskey expression and a good excuse to try a new whiskey or return to an old favorite. I’m hoping to help out by posting these and a big thank you to Jim for the privilege and Steve and Joe for all of their great work on these in the past.

 

With Valentine’s Day coming up next week, I thought it would be appropriate to start off with some roses, Four Roses that is.

 

First, a rundown of some basics of the expression:

 

Distillery: Four Roses

Brand Owner: Kirin

Mash Bill: 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley (the Four Roses “B” mash bill)

Proof: 100

Age: NAS (in the past, the minimum age was supposedly 7 years, current website says “aged 7-9 years”)

MSRP: $50

Expression introduced: 2004 (an EU version was first released in 1999)

Last time as BotM: October, 2019

 

Distillery Tasting Notes

 

Aroma/Nose: Dried spice, pear, cocoa, vanilla & maple syrup

 

Taste/Palate: Hints of ripe plum & cherries

 

Finish: Smooth & delicately long

 

My thoughts

 

Four Roses is famous for their use of five yeasts and two mash bills to create ten different “recipes.” But until a recent development discussed below, their single barrel product has always been their OBSV recipe, combining their high rye B mash bill with the V yeast. The barrel strength neck tag describes the recipe as “delicate fruity (pear, apricot), spicy, creamy.”

 

The 100 proof single barrel expression used to be available for private selections and for this write-up, I poured a pick done by a local restaurant some years ago. The rye spice comes through clearly on the nose. A taste brings some fruitiness blended with traditional bourbon flavors of caramel and vanilla. The finish is medium long with just a touch of warmth. All in all, a great and approachable bourbon for its price point and, in my experience, it is very consistent despite the single barrel aspect. One reason I have heard for the use of OBSV as the single barrel recipe is that it is very consistent. I have heard complaints here and there about this disappearing from shelves, but generally this whiskey is widely available across the country.

 

Recently, Four Roses introduced 100 proof single barrel versions of its OBSF, OESK, and OESO recipes. They will be rotating through the other nine recipes, three at a time. And, of course, all ten recipes will continue to be available as barrel strength private selections. I have actually found that OBSV is one of the rarer recipes for barrel strength selections, perhaps because it is “boring,” with it being the basic single barrel recipe.

 

And lastly as a lover of bottled in bond bourbons, I feel obligated to point out that a four or more year old single barrel bourbon bottled at 100 proof meets all of the requirements to be a bottled in bond spirit, except for the labeling requirement to provide the DSP of the distillery and bottler.

 

So, Straight Bourbon, what do you have to say about Four Roses Single Barrel?

[flahute]

Yes! And we thank you for picking up the mantle to continue with this great topicl

 

[PaulO]

Very well written up Jazz June.   

[ebo]

FRSSB is not what it once was. I still like it, but since Rutlidge left, it just isn't the same. I feel that way about the whole FR line up.

[Richnimrod]

1 hour ago, ebo said:

FRSSB is not what it once was. I still like it, but since Rutlidge left, it just isn't the same. I feel that way about the whole FR line up.

Ya' said a mouthful there ebo!   Quick anecdote...

My son and I stopped at the Cox's Creek visitor center a bit less than a year ago.   There were on offer two different (different recipes) barrel-proof, single barrel selections chosen by the master distiller.   One was 11-years old and quite low proof (if memory serves, around 100-pr), the other was just under 9-years old and about ten proof points higher.   Gary went for that low-proof, extra aged one, I took the other for variety.   Mine was definitely MEH, and certainly not worth the $90.   Gary's OTH was truly awful.   Barely drinkable by anyone's standards, and IMHO an embarrassment to the distillery.   I realize this isn't necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison and not quite what's under discussion here; but, it soured me on 4-R since.

[Jazz June]

15 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

Ya' said a mouthful there ebo!   Quick anecdote...

My son and I stopped at the Cox's Creek visitor center a bit less than a year ago.   There were on offer two different (different recipes) barrel-proof, single barrel selections chosen by the master distiller.   One was 11-years old and quite low proof (if memory serves, around 100-pr), the other was just under 9-years old and about ten proof points higher.   Gary went for that low-proof, extra aged one, I took the other for variety.   Mine was definitely MEH, and certainly not worth the $90.   Gary's OTH was truly awful.   Barely drinkable by anyone's standards, and IMHO an embarrassment to the distillery.   I realize this isn't necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison and not quite what's under discussion here; but, it soured me on 4-R since.

What recipe was the 11 year low-proof barrel? While there is certainly variety in flavor profiles, I haven't had many Four Roses barrel strength picks that weren't at least good (out of 200+ tasted). Now the value proposition is changing with the MSRP being $100. If you have really high expectations for a bourbon priced at that point, which is fair, and feel some Four Roses picks don't meet those expectations, I wouldn't be as surprised. Even this Four Roses lover has been passing on lots of picks in the $100-120 range unless they are among my favorite recipes and have decent age.

[Jazz June]

17 hours ago, ebo said:

FRSSB is not what it once was. I still like it, but since Rutlidge left, it just isn't the same. I feel that way about the whole FR line up.

I haven't had enough 100 proof single barrels from either era to knowledgeably compare, but can speak to the barrel strength picks and limited-edition small batches. I'd guess if you took a significant sample of barrel strength barrels released under each of Jim and Brent, Jim's would have a higher average rating. And LE SmB releases under Jim were stronger than those under Brent, in my opinion anyway. But I'd also guess Four Roses stocks have been under more pressure during Brent's tenure than they were during Jim's. So yes, I agree Four Roses was "better" during Jim's leadership, but it is still turning out lots of great bourbon today and I think Brent is doing a great job. Just my opinion of course!

[Richnimrod]

1 hour ago, Jazz June said:

What recipe was the 11 year low-proof barrel? While there is certainly variety in flavor profiles, I haven't had many Four Roses barrel strength picks that weren't at least good (out of 200+ tasted). Now the value proposition is changing with the MSRP being $100. If you have really high expectations for a bourbon priced at that point, which is fair, and feel some Four Roses picks don't meet those expectations, I wouldn't be as surprised. Even this Four Roses lover has been passing on lots of picks in the $100-120 range unless they are among my favorite recipes and have decent age.

That' the one my son went with.   I don't know offhand what that recipe is/was.   Mine is as follows: OBSO, 109-proof.

[Kepler]

On 2/6/2025 at 7:36 PM, Jazz June said:

The Straight Bourbon.com Bourbon of the Month (BotM) is a fun way to discuss a specific American whiskey expression and a good excuse to try a new whiskey or return to an old favorite. I’m hoping to help out by posting these and a big thank you to Jim for the privilege and Steve and Joe for all of their great work on these in the past.

 

With Valentine’s Day coming up next week, I thought it would be appropriate to start off with some roses, Four Roses that is.

 

First, a rundown of some basics of the expression:

 

Distillery: Four Roses

Brand Owner: Kirin

Mash Bill: 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley (the Four Roses “B” mash bill)

Proof: 100

Age: NAS (in the past, the minimum age was supposedly 7 years, current website says “aged 7-9 years”)

MSRP: $50

Expression introduced: 2004 (an EU version was first released in 1999)

Last time as BotM: October, 2019

 

Distillery Tasting Notes

 

Aroma/Nose: Dried spice, pear, cocoa, vanilla & maple syrup

 

Taste/Palate: Hints of ripe plum & cherries

 

Finish: Smooth & delicately long

 

My thoughts

 

Four Roses is famous for their use of five yeasts and two mash bills to create ten different “recipes.” But until a recent development discussed below, their single barrel product has always been their OBSV recipe, combining their high rye B mash bill with the V yeast. The barrel strength neck tag describes the recipe as “delicate fruity (pear, apricot), spicy, creamy.”

 

The 100 proof single barrel expression used to be available for private selections and for this write-up, I poured a pick done by a local restaurant some years ago. The rye spice comes through clearly on the nose. A taste brings some fruitiness blended with traditional bourbon flavors of caramel and vanilla. The finish is medium long with just a touch of warmth. All in all, a great and approachable bourbon for its price point and, in my experience, it is very consistent despite the single barrel aspect. One reason I have heard for the use of OBSV as the single barrel recipe is that it is very consistent. I have heard complaints here and there about this disappearing from shelves, but generally this whiskey is widely available across the country.

 

Recently, Four Roses introduced 100 proof single barrel versions of its OBSF, OESK, and OESO recipes. They will be rotating through the other nine recipes, three at a time. And, of course, all ten recipes will continue to be available as barrel strength private selections. I have actually found that OBSV is one of the rarer recipes for barrel strength selections, perhaps because it is “boring,” with it being the basic single barrel recipe.

 

And lastly as a lover of bottled in bond bourbons, I feel obligated to point out that a four or more year old single barrel bourbon bottled at 100 proof meets all of the requirements to be a bottled in bond spirit, except for the labeling requirement to provide the DSP of the distillery and bottler.

 

So, Straight Bourbon, what do you have to say about Four Roses Single Barrel?

Great write-up.

 

I think 4R SiB is still one of the best values out there, especially when you consider the proliferation of overpriced new releases across the board the past several years.

 

Something about the OBSV recipe just has a creaminess and a "body" to it that is hard to describe in words, but quite unique on the palate compared to any other bourbon. 

[Kepler]

On 2/24/2025 at 7:05 PM, ebo said:

FRSSB is not what it once was. I still like it, but since Rutlidge left, it just isn't the same. I feel that way about the whole FR line up.

 

I'm still a huge fan of the current Four Roses lineup and I'm a member in good standing of "the Cult" here on SB, ... but this photo I took a year ago comparing a 2013 bottle next to a 2024 bottle sort of underscores your point.  Look at the difference in color.

 

 

Edited February 26 by Kepler

[MM818]

Here’s a 9y7mo OESF bottled in 2018 that’s very good. It needed a dash of water to quell an astringent note on the finish. Thanks for the encouragement to open the bottle.
 

I feel like tasting Four Roses is very regimented. Palate-mid palate-finish. Very organized and must finish each stage before moving on to the next phase. 

[flahute]

46 minutes ago, MM818 said:

Here’s a 9y7mo OESF bottled in 2018 that’s very good. It needed a dash of water to quell an astringent note on the finish. Thanks for the encouragement to open the bottle.
 

I feel like tasting Four Roses is very regimented. Palate-mid palate-finish. Very organized and must finish each stage before moving on to the next phase. 

Yes. I agree. 

[wildcatdon]

I have found the 4 Roses Bourbons to be lacking in the last few years.  The Single Barrel is just so so now and the Small Batch Select is undrinkable.  Have had two bottles and kept drinking them in hope that it would taste better as I went along.  Didnt happen.  Wont be buying any 4 Roses in the near future especially at the prices they are asking.

[Scotch_Collector]

Really good to hear thoughts here about FR going downhill. I have two store picks (two different stores) from years ago - 2012 and 2016 or so. They were reasonably priced and very good. Lots of that cherry note from one in particular. They were also both cask strength. 

 

I wonder if the single barrel store picks are still good. I've seen a few lately but for $100+. I think I paid $50 and $55 for my two bottles. That seems more reasonable. 

Edited March 25 by Scotch_Collector

[smokinjoe]

I have found all of the off-the-shelf 100 proof 4RSB OBSVs that I’ve purchased over the last couple of years to be better- than-good to very good, and a couple to be spectacular.  Never disappointed.  Pricing around here for it is low-$40s, and for the quality of the whiskey, and great bottle and label dressing, it is an ultra premium product with good value, in my eyes.  FWIW, I have very positive opinions on the standard Yella Label, Small Batch, and Small Batch Select, as well.  
OTOH, I won’t do the private selections at the $100 pricing being asked.  That said, I might spring $100 for a well aged OBSK pick, if I’m feeling randy.  

[flahute]

6 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

I have found all of the off-the-shelf 100 proof 4RSB OBSVs that I’ve purchased over the last couple of years to be better- than-good to very good, and a couple to be spectacular.  Never disappointed.  Pricing around here for it is low-$40s, and for the quality of the whiskey, and great bottle and label dressing, it is an ultra premium product with good value, in my eyes.  FWIW, I have very positive opinions on the standard Yella Label, Small Batch, and Small Batch Select, as well.  
OTOH, I won’t do the private selections at the $100 pricing being asked.  That said, I might spring $100 for a well aged OBSK pick, if I’m feeling randy.  

This has been my experience as well. Apart from one standard SiB that was corked, everything I’ve had from them has tasted good to great. 

[Kepler]

I mean, does current 4R SiB match up against mid-2010's 4R SiB?  No it doesn't quite match up.  

But is current 4RSiB still a great value in today's bourbon world?  Absolutely!  I just purchased 2 bottles of standard SiB for $42.   I can't think of a better 100 proof bourbon for that price anywhere.  If you know of one, let me know ... because I'll buy it. 

[Skinsfan1311]

We made a quick stop at Cox Creek just to buy a few "distillery only" offerings of the SB.    I think this was in 2017....and they were pretty damn tasty.   Those bottles are long gone and I haven't bothered to replace them.   If I see a pick anywhere, and can try it, I'll consider buying more.  

[flahute]

It’s been a long time since I bought a store pick single barrel because of the local markup and because TW absolutely stinks at picking barrels. I have picked quite a few with my group and local whiskey bar including as recently as last December and all of these are top notch. 

[Guss West]

I've been pleasantly surprised by how often I'm going back to the red label 100pf single barrel releases this year.  The OESO has been in slim supply in my regular New England haunts, but the OBSF and OESK seem to be much more available.  Not knowing if these will come around again, I went ahead a stacked a box of them in the bunker.  

 

I always wanted to collect all ten recipes of the SiB BS bottlings, but not at $140/bottle (which I just saw yesterday).  I still have a few stashed away from the past decade.  

 

Last year, a grocery chain had an OESF SiB BS that was reasonably priced.  Bought a few and still kick myself for not going back for more.  To this day, remains one of the very best bourbons I have ever purchased, an all-time great. 

 

This is the magic of SiB BS four roses, its real and its spectacular!  

 

P.S. Still looking to stash a box of the OESO if anybody knows where to buy some bottles.  

Willing to travel!  

[flahute]

56 minutes ago, Guss West said:

 

P.S. Still looking to stash a box of the OESO if anybody knows where to buy some bottles.  

Willing to travel!  

My basement lol. 

[Guss West]

1 hour ago, flahute said:

My basement lol. 

 

Heh.  I'd expect nothing less from a Bourbon Master such as yourself.  

I"ll be over in a bit!  

 

I'm hoping for some luck next week in CA.  Anybody have recommendations for the best whiskey shops in San Jose/Santa Clara area?  

[fosmith]

On 3/26/2025 at 3:36 PM, Guss West said:

I'm hoping for some luck next week in CA.  Anybody have recommendations for the best whiskey shops in San Jose/Santa Clara area? 

K&L is just a few miles north in Redwood City.  Their entire inventory is searchable on their web site so you can see if they have something you want without making the trip.  You can order ahead online and have it held in will call at the store.  For items that have to be transferred from one of their other stores, that process can take a few days.