REVIEW: Four Roses Single Barrel.

For most of recent history, Four Roses Bourbon has been an exceedingly rare bloom; a distinctive American straight whiskey, popular throughout the world, but not sold in America.

The Four Roses story has been told before in this publication (most recently in Vol. 7, No. 1 and No. 2). Suffice it to say that both the brand and the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, distillery where it is made were owned by Seagrams and are now owned by Kirin.

Slowly but surely, Kirin has begun to make Four Roses more available in the United States. A major step in that direction was the introduction, in September, of Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon.

A single barrel product from Four Roses is perhaps more significant than such an offering from another distiller because of the unique way the company makes its standard product, using ten different bourbon recipes (two mash bills, five yeasts). By its nature, selecting a single barrel means featuring just one of those recipes.

They chose well.

I tend to think a new product should give us something we haven’t tasted before, and Four Roses Single Barrel obliges. Though it is unmistakably bourbon, my first reaction was, “this is unusual.” It is sweet like you expect bourbon to be, but with a bitter edge. Licorice or anise, a flavor that is barely detectable in most bourbon, when it is present at all, is prominent here.

The licorice reminded me of Good and Plenty candy while the combination of sweetness with bitterness made me think of molasses.

Some of the bitterness comes from the intense barrel char flavor, which also contributes to the long, dry finish. A lot of char, but no smoke, comes through in the nose as well, along with another childhood candy memory: circus peanuts.

Besides licorice and char, the other prominent flavor is hazelnut. Also detected: unsweetened chocolate, sour yeast, clove and cherry. What is not present are typical bourbon flavors such as caramel, vanilla and grain.

As is characteristic of a Four Roses product, all of these sensations are well-balanced. The flavor is intense, especially at bottle proof (100), but very enjoyable. The unique bottle has the Four Roses logo molded into the glass and is cork-finished. A hand-written label on the front identifies the serial number of the barrel and the warehouse from which it was taken.

Although there is no age statement on the label, the company reports that the whiskey is at least seven years old.

The introduction of Four Roses Single Barrel coincided with the opening of a new visitors center at the distillery Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 100 proof, no age statement.

($31.99/750 ml at Toddy’s in Bardstown in September, 2004.)

© 2004, Charles Kendrick Cowdery, All Rights Reserved.

From The Bourbon Country Reader, Vol.8, No. 4; December, 2004.