Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon Review [In Depth]
Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon
by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer
Founder, writer
Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon Details
Distillery: Four Roses
Type & Region: Bourbon, Kentucky, USA
Alcohol: 50%
Composition: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% barley
Aged: 7-9 years
Color: 1.2/2.0 on the color scale (chestnut, oloroso sherry)
Price: $50
From the company website:
For someone who wants a more complex bourbon experience, Four Roses Single Barrel embodies the uniqueness of an individual barrel hand-selected by our Master Distiller. It achieves a pronounced yet elegant flavor that is worth savoring. This bottle is the inspiration behind the Single Barrel Collection.Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon overview
Four Roses is stubborn. They keep doing the same things, stay in their lane, don’t care what anyone else does, and are… predictable. In a minor miracle, Four Roses finally decided to mix it up just a little bit by expanding their lineup of available single barrel bourbons to include a few more mashbill and yeast combinations.
For years, Four Roses only released the OBSV mashbill and yeast mix for everyday consumption, leaving everything else to the very limited and expensive Private Selection single barrel program. You know…the program where you have to know someone and bring at least $100.
Now, they’ve graciously expanded to include OBSF (herbal yeast), OESK (slight spice), and OESO (rich fruit). As a reminder, B means 35% rye in the mashbill and E means 20% rye in the mashbill. But unlike the Private Selects, which are cask strength and 9-12 years old, these more affordable versions are all 100% proof and 7-9 years old.
As a reminder, this review covers a single barrel of OBSV – delicate fruit yeast strain, which has been available for years. This is the old guard that’s been around for years, but I am revisiting it after many years as a media sample was graciously provided to me. Let’s see how it goes.
An important disclaimer, your mileage with this review may vary because this review covers a particular single barrel. The bottle that you see / buy will most likely come from a different barrel, so I cannot guarantee that your experience will be the same as mine. That is the double edged blessing and curse of single barrel whiskey. It is what it is.
Let’s find out what it’s like to revisit the OBSV version in this Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel bourbon review.
This sample was provided to me at no cost. All opinions are still my own.
As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (they’re the best): Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one. Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon smell
I smell caramel, licorice, dried apricot, cedar, dark baked red apple, vanilla, roasted oak, cinnamon, dried orange peel, and allspice. This smells really nice with dark sweetness, dark fruitiness, and dark oak. I get barrel aged mulled apple cider vibes. I don’t know if that’s even a thing…but maybe?
The wood and maturity also comes through with fragrant and controlled oakiness
Mellow heat as well, for me at least.
Four Roses Single Barrel OBSV has good fullness, layers, and balance across the board, although the scents don’t quite have the same oomph and impact of the cask strength versions, which is fine. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like such a diluted and inferior experience.
After swirling and 15 minutes of rest, I smell toasted caramel, heavily baked red apple, vanilla bean, roasted oak, dried orange peel, cinnamon, candied ginger, strawberry, allspice, and cedar.
This again smells great – a well developed and layered blend of dark sweetness, dried fruit, oak, and spice all wrapped up in an oak blanket that feels richer than 50% ABV, but without the extra heat. “Delicate fruitiness”…there’s not so much of that…but that’s still ok. This particular barrel of Four Roses Single Barrel OBSV still smells great and expertly selected.
Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon taste and aftertaste
To start, I taste caramel, dried apricot, vanilla, roasted oak, orange peel, lychee, baked red apple, cinnamon, allspice, and just a little grassiness and nuttiness. The grassiness and nuttiness are not in your face as some Heaven Hill and Jim Beam bourbons are. The oak has this toasted and slightly dry quality that also gives off a little nuttiness.
Really…just a little. If anything, the flavors have a bit more toasted oak in the balance, which may be why I get that feeling. Back on track though, this particular barrel of Four Roses Single Barrel OBSV has really body and fullness for “just” 100 proof, as well as mellow heat. It’s the right combination to have.
I don’t know if this feels like a “delicate fruit” type of bourbon…although to be fair I don’t think I’ve ever put much stock in the written definitions of the yeast strains. There’s fruitiness, but the balance doesn’t really skew towards that delicate fruit. It has a better balance of fruit, herbal rye, oak, and spice that then leans towards more oak and spice in the back half of the flavors into the finish.
With hard “chewing” I taste toasted caramel, baked red apple, vanilla, candied pineapple and ginger, roasted oak, cinnamon, and a little tobacco and dark chocolate. This is so good…and very unexpected. The dark, dense, and controlled oak makes this feel so mature, easily more than 9 years old. This could pass for 10-12 years old with the rich sweetness, fruitiness, and oak.
I wish that there was more of a fruity punch, which would elevate it more, but I drink this and keep nodding my head in appreciation. The body and richness are well done, and the experience feels well crafted and selected.
The finish initially leaves caramel, dried red apple and orange peel, and vanilla bean into lingering toasted oak, dried ginger, cinnamon, cedar, and a hint of dried grass. After “chewing”, it leaves toasted caramel, baked red apple and orange, and candied ginger with long lasting oak, cinnamon, honey, and tobacco.
Four Roses probably saved the even better barrels for their Private Selections, but I don’t feel cheated even with this.
I’ve unfortunately lost some Glencairn’s while in transit, and that made me very sad. So, I wised up and bought this Glencairn Travel Case that comes also comes with 2 glasses so I don’t need to worry so much about them breaking. I think it’s great, and I think you’ll love it too.
Seriously, if you already have glasses, protect them.
Four Roses OBSV Single Barrel Bourbon Rating
I’ve always enjoyed Four Roses bourbons. I don’t reach for them all the time, but I always appreciate their ability to consistently release very good bourbon. This time, I’m left pleasantly surprised and impressed by this OBSV Single Barrel. Even though I’ve had a bunch of Four Roses bourbons over the years, including Private Selections and Small Batch Limited Editions, this still stands out in its own way.
Even though it still smells and tastes like bourbon (duh), it also feels different and fun in its own way that I can’t adequately explain. It’s just excellent bourbon and I’m a big fan.
Even at this ABV and possibly less meticulous barrel selection, I still feel like I’m more or less getting a Private Select-level experience for a lot less money and without the madness of hoping that a store I like will get a barrel. It feels surprisingly rich, mature, and developed…and I don’t feel like Four Roses cut any corners. And for $50, it’s an epic steal of a bourbon when so many other releases are so expensive and far from worth it.
I can’t promise that the OBSV you get will be similar or as good, but I certainly hope that it is. If you do, you’re in for a real treat.
This is definitely worth buying and I’m glad Four Roses didn’t go crazy overpricing this.
Meet the Author: Alex
I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. I’m proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese.
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Shattered glass really sucks, so if you’re on the move, this Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
BrüMate NOS’R, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass – 7oz (Matte Black)
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