USA · KENTUCKY · SINGLE BARREL BOURBON REVIEW
Four Roses Single Barrel
One recipe, one barrel, no net.
The OBSV recipe alone — high-rye spice and delicate fruit at 100 proof, one cask at a time, around fifty dollars.
The purest expression of Four Roses' ten-recipe system: no mingling, just OBSV — the 35% high-rye mash crossed with the 'delicate fruit' V yeast — bottled from a single cask at 100 proof. Ripe plum, pear and cocoa over classic caramel-oak, with each barrel its own micro-variation. Reliably on the shelf near $50, no allocation drama.
Buy Online FROM $50 Read the full review →
Official site · fourrosesbourbon.com
THE DECISION
Four Roses Single Barrel
Buy it for OBSV in focus: high-rye spice, cherry-plum fruit, and a serious 100-proof frame without allocation theatre.
SUPERIOR SCORE
89/100
$45-$55 shelf
FOR
Neat sippers, recipe nerds, Manhattan upgraders.
NOT FOR
Cask-strength hunters or anyone wanting identical bottles.
I Origin
FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL — STORY & ORIGIN
Ten recipes, one chosen, one cask.
Four Roses works out of a 1910 Spanish Mission–style distillery near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and does something no other bourbon house does: two mash bills crossed with five proprietary yeast strains, yielding ten distinct recipes to blend from.
Single Barrel is the opposite bet from the blends: it showcases exactly one recipe — OBSV, the 35% high-rye mash crossed with the 'delicate fruit' V yeast — drawn from one barrel at a time and bottled at 100 proof. It joined the permanent lineup in 2004, and every bottle is a slight variation on the theme.
In April 2026, E. & J. Gallo completed its $775M acquisition of Four Roses from Japan's Kirin — returning the brand to American family ownership for the first time in 83 years. Elliott and his team stay on.
HOW IT'S MADE — IN FIVE STEPS
TWO MASH BILLS
High-rye B: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley.
FIVE YEAST STRAINS
V for delicate fruit — the strain this bottling keeps.
ONE RECIPE CHOSEN
OBSV only — mash bill B, the fruity “V” yeast.
SINGLE-STORY WAREHOUSES
Gentler, more even Kentucky maturation.
BOTTLED AT 100 PROOF
Non-chill-filtered, one barrel per bottle.
FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL SPECS · AT A GLANCE
Everything, on one label.
Verified by our editors
| COUNTRY | United States (Kentucky) |
|---|---|
| DISTILLERY | Four Roses |
| WHISKEY | Kentucky Straight Bourbon |
| NAME | Single Barrel |
| MASH BILL | B · 60% corn / 35% rye / 5% malt |
| RECIPE | OBSV — the “V” yeast, one barrel |
| AGE | 7–9 years |
|---|---|
| ABV | 50% · 100 proof |
| CASK | New charred American oak |
| FILTRATION | Non-chill-filtered · natural color |
| SERVE | Neat · few drops of water |
| RELEASE | Core range · ~$50 MSRP |
II On the Palate
FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL TASTING NOTES — NOSE · PALATE · FINISH
Orchard fruit first, oak spice after.
Ripe plum, cherry and honeyed florals on the nose; a full, rounded palate of vanilla, caramel and rye spice at an easy 100 proof; a long, mellow finish of toasted oak and slow-fading spice.
I · NOSE
Plum & cherry
Ripe plum and dark cherry over honey and delicate florals — the “V” yeast's signature — with cocoa and spicy oak underneath.
PLUM · CHERRY · FLORAL HONEY
ON THE NOSE8.9
II · PALATE
Full & fruity
Full-bodied and rounded — vanilla, caramel and ripe pear ride the high-rye spice; 100 proof keeps it firm without heat.
VANILLA · CARAMEL · RYE SPICE
ON THE PALATE9.0
III · FINISH
Long & mellow
Long and gently warming — toasted oak, brown sugar and a slow fade of rye spice, with texture non-chill-filtration leaves intact.
LONG · TOASTED OAK · GENTLE SPICE
ON THE FINISH8.8
EDITORIAL TRUST
One recipe, one barrel, clear expectations.
The review keeps the promise narrow: OBSV at 100 proof, about seven to nine years old in practice, with barrel variation treated as part of the point.
“Fruit-forward, honest at 100 proof, and still priced like a shelf staple.”
Synthesized from verified critic notes · July 2026
III Is It For You?
WHO IS FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL FOR?
Who it's for — and who it isn't.
AN HONEST READ
FOR YOU — You'll love it if…
You want a fruit-forward, always-in-stock single barrel around $50
You like 100-proof, non-chill-filtered texture
Plum, cherry and rye spice are your lane
You're curious what one recipe — OBSV — tastes like on its own
You want the single-barrel story without the single-barrel price
You enjoy barrel-to-barrel variation as a feature
NOT FOR YOU — Look elsewhere if…
You want cask-strength intensity
100 proof still runs hot for you and you won't add water
You want an age statement on the label
You prefer the softer 90-proof Small Batch
You're chasing rare unicorn bottles for prestige
You want identical pours every time — single barrels vary by design
IV How to Drink It
HOW TO DRINK FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL
“Four Roses Single Barrel, neat.”
At 100 proof this is a natural neat pour — a few drops of water tease out extra cherry and cocoa. It will carry a cocktail too, but of the Four Roses range, this is the one you sip.
NEAT FIRST
Non-chill-filtered at 100 proof, it arrives composed — give it five minutes in the glass.
A FEW DROPS
Water lifts the florals and turns the spice toward cocoa and cherry.
ROCKS OR COCKTAIL
100 proof carries an Old Fashioned or Manhattan without disappearing into it.
THE SERVE
FIG. 02 — THE SERVE, DRESSED FOR THE EVENING
Neat first. Water welcome.
BUYING CONTEXT
Four Roses Single Barrel vs the shelf
This sits between the softer Small Batch line and higher-proof private-selection energy: distinctive enough to sip, available enough to recommend.
THIS REVIEW
Single Barrel
Best for tasting one Four Roses recipe without chasing a barrel pick.
STEP-UP SIBLING
Small Batch Select
More blended complexity and proof, usually a little more money.
RYE-SPICE RIVAL
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel
More oak and proof; less Four Roses fruit and floral lift.
V Where to Find It
Where to buy Four Roses Single Barrel — or try a pour first.
PRICES CHECKED · JULY 2026
ReserveBar PREFERRED RETAILER
2-HOUR DELIVERY IN SELECT STATES · SHIPS WHERE LEGAL
IN-STORE PICKUP + DELIVERY WHERE LEGAL
REWARDS DISCOUNT · SHIPS TO ~40 STATES
Pours and bottle prices vary by venue and change often — call ahead. We may earn a commission on retail-partner links.
VI Ask Forge
ASK FORGE · YOUR WHISKEY GUIDE
Not sure it's your pour?
Forge is your whiskey guide. Tell him what you usually drink and whether you want smooth, bold, fruity, sweet or spicy — he'll tell you if Four Roses Single Barrel is the right pour, or point you to a better fit.
Compares it to bottles you already love
Finds a similar profile at a lower price
Learns your taste as you chat
Forge
WHISKEY SPECIALIST · AI
Is Single Barrel a real step up from the standard Four Roses Bourbon?
Yes — it's one hand-picked OBSV barrel at 100 proof, non-chill-filtered, so you get more fruit, more spice and more texture than the 80-proof standard. If plum-and-cherry bourbons are your lane, it's the best $50 in the range.
Ask Forge about Four Roses Single Barrel…
VERDICT · FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL REVIEW
One barrel, zero drama.
Fruit-forward, honest and reliably on the shelf — one OBSV barrel at a time, bottled at 100 proof, non-chill-filtered, around fifty dollars. It isn't chasing cask-strength thrills: it's a World Whiskies Awards-decorated single barrel you can actually find, and the easiest way to taste what one Four Roses recipe does alone.
FRUIT-FORWARDONE BARREL AT A TIMENO ALLOCATION DRAMA
Buy Online FROM $50 Our score — 89 / 100
COMMUNITY PULSE
What drinkers tend to agree on
The praise clusters around value, fruit, spice and texture. The caveat is also honest: single barrels move around, so your bottle may lean brighter, oakier, or spicier.
WHAT DRINKERS NOTICE
- 01 · A dependable upgrade from standard shelf bourbon.
- 02 · Cherry, plum and rye spice show up often.
- 03 · Some bottles drink oakier than the review bottle.
Best next move
Buy near $50 if you like fruit-led bourbon; add a few drops before judging the spice.
KEEP EXPLORING · AMERICAN BOURBON
Keep the bourbon shelf going.
FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL · FAQ
Questions, answered.
Six things drinkers most often ask us about Four Roses Single Barrel.
ANSWERED BY EVERETT BOONE · THE AMERICAN SEAT
i. Is Four Roses Single Barrel worth it?
Yes — at around $50 it's one of bourbon's best-value single barrels: 100 proof, non-chill-filtered, fruit-forward, and named World's Best Single Barrel Bourbon at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards. No allocation markup, either.
ii. Single Barrel vs Small Batch Select — which should I buy?
Single Barrel is one OBSV barrel at 100 proof — brighter fruit, about $50. Select mingles six recipes at 104 proof — richer and roughly $10 more. We score Select higher (91 vs 89); pick Single Barrel for purer fruit and the friendlier price.
iii. What does OBSV mean?
Four Roses recipe code: O for the Lawrenceburg distillery, B for the high-rye mash bill (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley), S for straight whiskey, V for the delicate-fruit yeast strain. Every Single Barrel bottle is OBSV.
iv. How old is Four Roses Single Barrel?
There's no age statement on the label, but Four Roses says the barrels are typically 7–9 years old when bottled — older than most of the core range.
v. Is it non-chill-filtered?
Yes — Single Barrel is bottled at 100 proof without chill filtration, which preserves the oils behind its rounded, creamy texture.
vi. Is it hard to find?
No — it's a permanent core release with wide national distribution at shelf price. Retailer “private selection” barrel picks add variety without adding cost.