Most distilleries make bourbon from one or two recipes. Four Roses makes ten. Two different mashbills — one high-rye, one lower-rye — each fermented with five proprietary yeast strains that produce distinctly different flavor characteristics, from delicate fruit to robust spice to floral and herbal qualities. When Four Roses blends its standard expression, it combines all ten to achieve balance. When they bottle their Single Barrel, they step back and let one barrel speak entirely on its own — and the result is one of the most intellectually compelling single barrel bourbons in America.
The standard retail Single Barrel is always drawn from the OBSV recipe — the high-rye mashbill (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley) with a yeast strain known for delicate fruit and floral character. Each barrel is hand-selected by the Master Distiller from the distillery's single-story, iron-clad rickhouses in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky at peak maturity — typically somewhere between 7 and 9 years — and bottled at 100 proof, non-chill filtered. Because every bottle is a single barrel, every one is slightly different. The barrel number and recipe code are printed on the label, making it a genuinely traceable, one-of-a-kind product.
ABV / Proof
| Distillery |
Four Roses Distillery LLC, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky |
| Type |
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel |
| Standard Recipe |
OBSV — 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley, with delicate fruit and floral yeast |
| Selection |
Hand-selected by the Master Distiller from a single barrel at peak maturity |
| Age |
7 to 9 years (varies by barrel) |
| Filtration |
Non-chill filtered |
| Awards |
96-100 pts Wine Enthusiast Best Buy, Double Gold Denver International Spirits Competition, Gold SFWSC multiple years, Best Bourbon Whisky No Age — Whisky Magazine |
| Proof |
100 Proof |
| ABV |
50% |
| Bottle Size |
750ml, individually barreled and labeled |
| Country |
United States, Kentucky |
Tasting Notes
Nose: Fruity, spicy and floral — dried spice, pear, cocoa, vanilla and maple syrup with a moderately woody backbone from the high-rye OBSV recipe
Palate: Hints of ripe plum and cherries, full-bodied and robust yet surprisingly mellow — caramel, baking spices, cinnamon and toasted oak in confident balance
Finish: Smooth and delicately long — fruit, soft leather and warm spice linger with the kind of elegant length that makes you want to pour another
FAQ
What does the recipe code on the bottle mean?
Four Roses uses a proprietary system to identify each bourbon's origin. The code is typically four letters: O for Four Roses distillery, B or E for the mashbill (B is high-rye at 60% corn and 35% rye; E is lower-rye at 75% corn and 20% rye), S for straight bourbon, and a final letter for the yeast strain (V, K, O, Q, or F — each producing different flavor profiles from delicate fruit to rich spice). The OBSV code on the standard Single Barrel denotes the high-rye mashbill with the delicate fruit and floral yeast.
Why does every bottle taste slightly different?
Because every bottle genuinely is different. Single barrel means the entire content comes from one individual barrel — no blending, no averaging. Different barrels age at slightly different rates depending on their position in the rickhouse, temperature exposure, and the subtle variations between barrels. The barrel number printed on the label means you can trace exactly where your bottle came from.
Where can I buy Four Roses Single Barrel online?
Available here at Liquor On Broadway — fast, insured shipping nationwide.
