Review #267 - Four Roses 10 Year OESV Single Barrel Barrel Strength
During a visit to the Four Roses distillery near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, we had a chance to try a couple varieties of their Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbon. This first bottle uses the OESV recipe (recipe 6), which utilizes mashbill E (20% rye) and yeast strain V, which should add delicate fruit flavors.
This barrel was aged for 10 years before being bottled at a barrel strength of 58.9% ABV (117.8 proof). It was bottled specifically for the distillery's visitor center tasting bar.
Four Roses 10 Year OESV Single Barrel Barrel Strength
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 120 (2024)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 58.9% ABV
Details: OESV recipe; bottled January 2020; warehouse PS, barrel 37 3J
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Soft and subtle despite the strength; light floral notes and vanilla mix with tobacco leaves, and there are some herbal scents. Later, hints of mango and a lot of brown sugar arrive.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; quite fruity, with cherries and oranges taking center stage. Spices as well from cinnamon, clove, and brown sugar; there's corn grain on the back end, along with leather and a dusty character.
Finish: Medium-long, warming with cinnamon and red fruits. Oak is soft, and it brings sweet vanilla, some brown sugar, even demerara sugar. Somewhat subtle, and there's a hint of mint in the aftertaste.
Final Note: A very nice bourbon - on the subtle side for these Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbons, despite the higher proof. Nice fruity flavors, and while there was some nice oak spice, there was also a deeper maturity in the form of those tobacco and leather flavors.
If you can get these bottles in the $100 to $120 range, it's a pretty good value, as well.
Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.62
Check out our other Four Roses reviews:
Review #268 - Four Roses 11 Year OESK Single Barrel Barrel Strength
