Four Roses Single Barrel

I enjoyed your review, though I must both agree and disagree. I agree that this is as far away from a "typical" bourbon as you can get, almost to being like a different type of spirit. However, I disagree with your disappointment in it! True, if I had one bourbon in the cabinet I probably wouldn't choose this one, but it's very good nonetheless. My bottle wasn't so floral as yours. That's the tough part of single barrel.

Four Roses Single Barrel can be one of 10 different whiskeys: 5 yeasts, 2 mashbills. Apples to oranges comparisons unless you know exactly which formula was used. The floral thing is from the yeast used.

Without exact formula information you really don't know which whiskey is being discussed. Four Roses Single barrel bourbon can be and is a lot of different things. I've had several of these that I loved and a couple which left me indifferent. 5 of 6 of those I was sampling were from private barrels which were labeled with formula information which allowed me to know which bourbon I was drinking and that I was drinking different bourbons.

Victor, I've seen you make that comment before, but you're only half right. The standard, off-the-shelf FRSB is always OBSV formula. The other formulas are only obtained through retailer's selected bottlings, to my knowledge, and would generally say the formula and say that they are the retailer's bottling.

@valuewhisky, unspecified mass market Four Roses Single Barrel is always FRSB? Interesting. I am glad to learn that, and always wondered why the formula was not stated on the bottles, though I guess that so far, that makes me not much of a fan of FRSB.

that is...FRSB OBSV.

@ValueWhisky Oh no doubt it's still a nice sip. But I just found the recurring flowery (chamomile) note to be overbearing. It just kept coming up in the nose and in the taste. I would personally choose the small batch 4R's just because I like the presentation better. The nose on it is more Bourbon like, lots of caramel, all spice, and yet it has that jagged edge as well to let you know it's a bourbon. Just the contrast makes it more interesting. On the palate it's the opposite. While the S.barrel starts off very flowery as well as hot and spicy, the small batch doesn't turn spicy until it's been on your tongue for a bit. The grip on the small batch happens more in the finish than on the palate. So it's finish is more satisfying to me. But yes, Single Barrel 4R's is a nice and different Bourbon. Still decent and still worth a try.

I'd like to check out the Small Batch sometime, it's just not available here in Pennsylvania. I'll put it on "the list" though ;-)

I prefer the Small Batch to what I have had of the Single Barrel, OBSV, by a good bit. But, those private barrels, eg from Binny's or The Party Source, of some of those other 'recipes' are terrific, and really changed my attitude toward Four Roses Bourbons, in a very good way.

@victor & @valuewhisky , I hear this years limited edition small batch is really good. Whisky advocate blog named it, it's top bottle. I'm interested in trying it to see for myself but it's proving difficult to find.

@masterj, I haven't tasted the 2012 LE yet, but the 2011 was/is fabulous.