Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Four Roses single-barrel bourbon is surprisingly affordable and delicious. Despite being one of the most affordable single barrels on the market, it’s also one of the best.

Tasting Notes

Color: Golden caramel—bourbons are forbidden by law to use artificial coloring, so the hue comes entirely from the barrel. 

Nose: It’s heavy on the rye, and also quite fruity, with plum, apricot and bright citrus predominating. 

Palate: Rich and sweet but not cloying, its big notes of caramel, with vanilla, cherry candy and hints of chocolate segue into a burst of cinnamon spice and a light oaky dryness as it hits the tonsils. 

Finish: The finish is all about the oak—dry, with a black pepper spiciness. The gorgeous aftertaste lingers, with notes of candied orange peel and toffee.

Our Review

Four Roses single-barrel bourbon was launched in 2004, the year the brand was reintroduced to the U.S. Four Roses was America’s top-selling bourbon post-Prohibition but had been produced for export only for decades, becoming a huge seller in Japan in the process. Single-barrel bourbon became a thing in the ’80s and ’90s, and the category was starting to gain traction in the market by the time distiller Jim Rutledge produced Four Roses’ version. 

Four Roses is known for its arsenal of 10 recipes (five different yeast strains and two mash bills). Other expressions are blends of several recipes or even all 10. This single barrel, however, uses only one, a yeast-mash-bill combo that produces a rich, fruity, spicy and thoroughly delicious bourbon. A lot of single barrels go for extremes, whether in proof or in flavor profile. Not so here. This is a totally approachable bourbon that’s easy enough for everyday drinking but complex and rich enough for special-occasion quaffing.

Not that you need to save it for special occasions, because at a mere $45 a bottle, it’s one of the great bargains in the single-barrel category. It’s also pretty easy to find, a rarity in an age where it’s getting difficult to find a single-barrel bourbon that isn’t a limited edition. Single barrels are generally made for sipping, but when it’s this affordable, why not mix it into a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned or another spirit-forward cocktail? That said, it’s best on its own in a glass. A little water brightens the fruity notes a bit, but it’s certainly not necessary.

Whiskey aficionados may quibble about the fact that this is chill-filtered, which prevents clouding or “flocking” at cold temperatures but, some say, ultimately detracts from the flavor. Rest assured that this is still a very flavorful bourbon, though chill-filter snobs may go for Four Roses’ non-chill-filtered Small Batch Select instead. Picking up both bottles and having a head-to-head matchup might be a great way to spend an evening.