What we’re drinking: Four Roses Single Barrel Collection
Where it’s from: Based in Lawrenceburg, KY, Four Roses (est. 1888) is currently overseen by Master Distiller Brent Elliott. The brand is known for its use of 10 recipes across its various releases, crafted from two high-rye mash bills and five proprietary yeast strains, which are all identified by four-letter combos like OESO or OBSQ.
Why we’re drinking this: What if you broke down the 10 recipes Four Roses uses, in various combinations, to craft its entire portfolio? Interestingly, a select few people can do this every year, but the Single Barrel Collection marks the first time more than one of the recipes will be available (on its own) to the general public.
“If you go out and you buy a bottle of any of our products, they’re all going to taste much different from each other, and there are reasons related to proof and age,” Elliott says. “But the recipes that we use really create those differences.”
Revisiting the Classics: Four Roses Small Batch
The modestly-priced bourbon’s release in 2006 helped launch the small-batch crazeFour Roses produces all of their bourbon mash bill recipes independently and ages them independently, where they eventually go into whatever product they’re designated for, usually after seven to nine years. For a while now, the distillery has offered access to a single barrel program that allows a select few retailers to try any of the individual recipes. “The problem is that program is kind of limited,” Elliott says. “For your everyday consumer who just wants to see what OESO or OESK tastes like, it’s not that easy.”
The Single Barrel Collection launch earlier this year coincided with the 20th anniversary of Four Roses introducing its flagship Single Barrel offering, which has won several awards, including the World’s Best Single Barrel at the World Whiskies Awards. The Single Barrel Collection features three new 100 proof Single Barrel bourbons — OBSF, OESK and OESO — alongside the flagship Single Barrel, OBSV. Other single-barrel recipes will be cycled in during the next few years.
Let’s test them out.
How they taste: Each of the four releases is aged roughly seven to nine years and comes in at 100 proof.
- OBSV: Mash bill B (35% rye, 60% corn) with yeast strain V, this one is full of apricot, vanilla, brown sugar, toasted oak, cherry cola, cinnamon and rye spice. It’s the original and, for now, the best of the single barrels.
- OBSF: Mash bill B (35% rye, 60% corn) with yeast strain F has more of that herbal rye and toasted oak spice with fruit notes, cinnamon and dark chocolate coming in subtly more in the end.
- OESK: Mash bill E (20% rye, 75% corn) with yeast strain K is slightly sweet, offering vanilla, caramel, baking spices and a hint of lemon and eucalyptus. It’s the closest to a classic bourbon profile.
- OESO: Mash bill E (20% rye, 75% corn) with yeast strain O, this one is a bit more delicate with notes of red fruit, vanilla, oak spice and cherry.
Fun fact: At some future point, Four Roses is going to have more than 10 recipes. But you’ll need patience. “We started last year producing batches with different rye mash bills,” Elliott says. “They’re still bourbon mash bills, a higher rye mash bill and a lower rye mash bill, with all five yeast strains. So certainly in six, seven or eight years, you’ll start seeing some of those.”
Where to buy: The three new Single Barrels are available for $50 on ReserveBar.
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