Because it ought to, 4 Roses talks rather a lot about its 10 distinct recipes—a mix of two mash payments and 5 yeast strains—used to make a big selection of bourbons.
Traditionally, there have been simply 3 ways to style all 10 of these recipes on their very own:
- On a 4 Roses Non-public Choice decide, which is a tricky ticket to get.
- By finding and shopping for 10 Non-public Choice picks representing every recipe, which isn’t any imply feat.
- By discovering a 4 Roses Ten Recipe Tasting Expertise, which can be tougher than finding 10 single barrel bottles, plus, all its samples are proofed to 104 (52% ABV).
The excellent news is 4 Roses is growing entry to its vary of recipes with the launch of its Single Barrel Assortment. This provides three new 100 proof Single Barrels, aged 7 to 9 years, to to go alongside its flagship (for 20 years operating, I would add) OBSV Single Barrel. These are, together with the distillery’s tasting notes:
- OESK: mash invoice E (20% rye, 75% corn) with yeast pressure Okay, imparting baking spices, mellow oak, tea leaves, and caramel.
- OESO: mash invoice E (20% rye, 75% corn) with yeast pressure O, imparting wealthy pink fruit, vanilla, brown sugar, and delicate oak.
- OBSF: mash invoice B (35% rye, 60% corn) with yeast pressure F, imparting natural notes, shiny rye, apple, vanilla, clove, and cocoa.
- OBSV: mash invoice B (35% rye, 60% corn) with yeast pressure V, imparting rye spice, apricot, pear, cinnamon, and toasted oak. That is the aforementioned OG FR SB launched 20 years in the past.
Since 4 Roses despatched whiskey writers four-bottle units containing 100 mls of every, I believed nosing and tasting all could be fascinating since I’ve not had the brand new trio at 100 proof. Since I’ve participated in a number of Non-public Alternatives and have tasted all 10 recipes at cask energy, it’s honest to notice my bias towards that improbable expertise.
I didn’t need my opinion of any recipe skewed towards a earlier choice, so my spouse poured all 4 samples in a blind format.
On #1, the nostril served up confectioner’s sugar, blooming roses, a little bit little bit of grape jelly, chamomile and golden apple. On the palate was shiny oak, oatmeal cookie, toasted bread, bruléed banana and cinnamon. The end is lengthy, tingling, accented with pink hots sweet and drinks noticeably above its 100 proof.
On #2, the nostril is initially mild with cereal grain (assume Cheerios), cinnamon toast, white pepper, peeled pineapple, cherry tarte and Krispy Kreme donut. On the palate it’s smooth and wealthy with chocolate undertones and daring barrel notes of baking spice and cinnamon. I left it alone for a bit and returned to search out richer tropical fruit notes, spring flowers and a barely honeyed end.
On #3, the nostril brings milk chocolate, vanilla taffy, a little bit leather-based, golden apple, magnolia bloom, and that traditional 4 Roses Juicy Fruit gum notice accented with a little bit nail polish. On the palate comes oak and cedar, contemporary orange, caramel, and baking spice: a really fundamental however textbook-correct bourbon.
On #4, the nostril delivers mild oak, moist oak, some wooden ash, darkish fruit, lemon Danish, contemporary orange, ruby port and a few tropical fruit. On the palate comes deep sweetness—Juicy Fruit gum right here, too—nice oak and warming cinnamon. This whiskey is all manners, completely balanced. A later style introduced forth subtleties like golden apple, golden raisin and toasted bread.
It isn’t laborious to see the similarities in these whiskies, however make no mistake, they’re splendidly distinctive.
My private rankings
Regardless of the nostril on #2 being nigh hypnotizing, my favourite general was #4, made out of the OBSV recipe. For years my favourite recipe has been the OBSQ (a high-rye recipe with natural yeast notes), however just lately OBSV has unseated it. Not solely has Bourbon & Banter picked three OBSV barrels through the years, the Kentucky Bourbon Competition crew I decide with selected that recipe in 2024.
In case you wish to know the opposite samples, they have been: #1 was OESO, #2 was OESK, and #3 was OBSF.
I ranked them OBSV first, OESK second, OESO third, and OBSF fourth.
Some broader observations …
These 100 proof variations affirm my Non-public Choice expertise: 4 Roses is at its best possible at cask energy (I’ve picked barrels with proofs starting from 105 to 122). At barrel proof is the place you expertise the countless aromas created by FR’s 5 yeast strains, to not point out all these whiskeys’ complexities and nuances gained whereas resting 10 to 12 years in wooden.
So, after all, at 100 proof, these are anticipated to be comparably muted to cask energy variations, however worry not, there’s nonetheless loads of taste, aroma and complexity to excite the senses. And at $49, they’re additionally about half the value of a cask energy launch.
Lastly, the deep copper colour of those bourbons all however screams, “I’m 7 to 9 years previous and one heck of a discount at $49.” It’s a very good visible reminder of the high-quality product within the glass and the truth that 4 Roses merely by no means disappoints.
