Last week I posted about Four Roses Small Batch.  Now I’m looking at their Single Barrel offering.  Their Small Batch bourbon was light and delicate.  How does this Single Barrel compare?  (Thanks to the Baddish Group for the sample.)

Four Roses Single Barrel is exactly that – a single barrel of one of their 10 bourbon recipes.  There was no recipe designation on the sample bottle I received, but it was probably their OBSV recipe, which their website describes as “delicate fruit, spicy, creamy.”  That’s pretty spot on.  Where their Small Batch was a light bourbon, Four Roses Single Barrel has a bit more body to it.  Maybe it’s due to the proof (100, by the way) or the particular bourbon recipe.  There’s a little more depth in the smell – caramel, brown sugar, spiciness and oak.   This is thicker and a bit more syrupy than the small batch.  Taste-wise, it starts sweet (toffee and caramel) and builds up some spiciness.  The finish is moderate, sweet and spicy.

All in all, this is a solid bourbon, especially at the $35 – $40 price point.  Four Roses does put out a yearly limited edition Single Barrel at a much higher cost.  Some stores buy a barrel and have it bottled at barrel strength.  I bought one such bottle in Nashville for $50, which I’ll get to at some point soon.  I eagerly recommend the standard Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon to anyone looking for a nice, full bourbon.

8.5/10