The Four Roses Ten Recipe Tasting Experience
We've been fans of Four Roses bourbons for quite a while now; a visit to the distillery in 2023 only cemented that interest. These days, we tend to go for the single barrel, barrel strength (SBBS) versions of their bourbons, but several of the recipes are quite tricky to find. So, when this Ten Recipe Tasting Experience was released in June 2023, we made sure to snag one so that we could compare each of the variations of their whiskey recipes.
Four Roses uses four digit codes to separate their bourbons into ten distinct mashbill and yeast combinations; the first digit is always 'O,' which represents the Four Roses distillery, and the third digit is always 'S,' which signifies that these are Straight bourbons.
The second letter represents the mashbill. There are two options: 'B' indicates a high-rye bourbon mashbill of 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley, while the letter 'E' denotes a low-rye bourbon mashbill of 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. That isn't necessarily a particularly low-rye mashbill by bourbon industry standards, but it's the less spicy option here.
Paired with those mashbills are five yeast strains: 'V' (Delicate Fruit), 'K' (Slight Spice), 'O' (Rich Fruit), 'Q' (Floral Essence), and 'F' (Herbal Notes). By creating these ten different recipes, Four Roses can choose to highlight specific flavor profiles by choosing certain recipes for blending into their different core range and limited release products.
The entry level Four Roses 'Yellow Label' bourbon uses a combination of all ten recipes; their 6 to 7 year aged 'Small Batch,' on the other hand, just uses four recipes: OBSK, OBSO, OESK, and OESO. This small batch bourbon targets rich fruit, vanilla, and some baking spice for its flavor profile.
The Small Batch Select, which has a more premium price point of $50 or so, uses a different recipe: OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF. With these recipes, this Select product seems to be targeting a profile with a combination of baking spice, rye, and light fruits.
Then, we have the standard Four Roses Single Barrel. For years, this was only available with a single recipe, the OBSV recipe, with a description of 'Delicate Fruit and Rye.' In 2025, however, they finally changed this policy; the OBSV bottles are still available, but the distillery now rotates through the other nine recipes, making three available each year as 100 proof single barrel bourbons. Early 2025 saw the OESO, OBSF, and OESK recipes become available; now, in 2026, we have the OESQ, OESF, and OBSK varieties.
All of that to say, it's possible to try the ten different recipes, but they're often blended together, and it's tricky to get your hands on them individually to compare the real impact of the different mashbills and yeast strains. That's where this Ten Recipe Tasting Experience comes in: we finally get a chance to try all of the recipes with the same specifications (all the same strength and roughly the same age) so that we have a chance to pick out those unique characteristics in each bourbon.
Let's set the stage with our tasting methodology: we didn't want the knowledge of the recipes to bias us toward specific flavors, so we tried each mini-bottle blind 3 times to build a library of notes and scores. All of the bourbons are bottled at a strength of 52% ABV (104 proof), and we tried all of them neat; there's no age statement on the kit, but all of these bourbons were selected from barrels eligible for the Four Roses single barrel program and are aged between 7 and 10 years. Where applicable, we've also added a few thoughts from our past experiences with Single Barrel Barrel Strength versions of the recipes.
A few final thoughts (caveats) before we get into the comparison:
Our ratings will of course reflect personal preferences. We expect all of these bourbons are generally made at the same level of quality, so this may be more of an exercise in exploring which bourbon flavor profiles we enjoy, as opposed to which is 'best'
When creating the value score for each recipe, we estimated the price ($65) of a full-size bottle of each bourbon at this strength by blending the price of the standard single barrel and the single barrel barrel strength version of the bourbon. The price for the full ten recipe kit was $130
Alright, without further ado, let's get into the actual tasting notes and scores.
Four Roses OBSV Recipe (High Rye, 'Delicate Fruit' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Vanilla, coconut, bruleed sugar, cream soda, cola, floral, leans sweet, brown sugar, hint of rye spice
Palate: Rich rye spice and mint, sweet grain, golden sugary flavors like honey or maple syrup on waffles, pepper, brown sugar, orange peel, lemon-lime soda, bright complexion
Finish: Honey, mint, waffles or other sweet baked goods, herbal and spicy, brown sugar, vanilla, sage, linen, soft oak, icing sugar
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Orchard fruits, hints of cherry, cinnamon, vanilla, wood spice
Overall thoughts: This recipe was full of sweet bright baking notes - creamy, with light fruits, a soft floral side, and some rye spice. With time, that herbal rye side grows stronger.
Score: 7.2 / 10
Value Rating: 7.13
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OBSV as "delicate fruit & rye." From our tasting experience, we definitely found the rye spices; the light fruits were much more subtle, and we found this bottle focused more on the sugary and baking spice side of things.
Four Roses OBSK Recipe (High Rye, 'Slight Spice' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Caramel and some drying oak, rye spice, a bit herbal, oranges, soft hint of red fruit
Palate: Leathery, rye spice, bruleed sugar, wood char, tannins, tobacco, candy cane-like rye notes
Finish: Oranges and plums, wood smoke, drying oak, tannins, leather, sage, herbal and floral
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: N/A
Overall thoughts: A bit drying overall, some light hints of fruit. Herbal and floral, with tannins and a decent amount of oak.
Score: 7.3 / 10
Value Rating: 7.30
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OBSK as "rye & baking spice." We did find a decent rye influence, as well as a surprising hint of dark fruit that we generally associate with other profiles. Oak was quite strong here, though - the softer yeast influence allowed a lot of oak spice to come through.
Four Roses OBSO Recipe (High Rye, 'Rich Fruit' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Cherries and plums, some cola, a dark complexion in general. Oaky with wood spice, but it leans sweet overall
Palate: Cherry, lots of purple fruit like fig and raisins, cola, a bit syrupy, mature leathery oak in the background
Finish: Blackberries, cherries, wood smoke and tannins, a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon; raisins, some tobacco
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: N/A
Overall thoughts: Dominated by red fruit, especially cherries, but we love that. Dark fruit, dark oak and tobacco, with just soft baking spice notes in the finish.
Score: 7.8 / 10
Value Rating: 7.79
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OBSO as "rich fruit & spice." Absolutely nailed it - so much red fruit and dark fruit, and that spice from the baking notes and oak (and tobacco) builds later in the palate and finish.
Four Roses OBSQ Recipe (High Rye, 'Floral Essence' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Leathery oak, tobacco and perfume, quite peppery and spicy - rye, then some vanilla and bruleed sugar
Palate: Rich caramel, a moderate amount of oak, hints of orange fruit, herbal rye, chocolate and cola
Finish: Strong oak and wood char, tobacco, spearmint, lots of rye spice, wood spice, demerara sugar
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Caramel and maple sugar, balanced by baking spices of cinnamon and nutmeg
Overall thoughts: A decent amount of oak influence here - the spirit signature is more subtle, allowing the oak to show through. Some rye spice as well, especially in the palate and finish.
Score: 7.3 / 10
Value Rating: 7.30
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OBSQ as "rye & lightly floral." Those floral notes were harder for us to detect, maybe because they're more subtle; the rye was definitely prominent, and we found the oak spice to be just as intense, along with some baking spices in the finish.
Four Roses OBSF Recipe (High Rye, 'Herbal Notes' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Cherry cough medicine, blackberries, cherries, grape jam, cola, brown sugar, tobacco, a darker complexion
Palate: Oak and other wood notes, tart or sour cherry, plums, caramel, blood orange, and mint
Finish: Tart strawberry, stone fruit, oranges, vanilla, tannins, soft floral and herbal notes, barbecued wood
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Dark and dense, caramel, oak-forward, with accents of floral notes and dark red fruit
Overall thoughts: Nice dark fruit notes, a darker complexion overall; hints of rye and spicy/smoky oak build over time.
Score: 7.4 / 10
Value Rating: 7.30
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OBSF as "delicate rye & mint." Wow, we go this one totally wrong. We found so much dark fruit influence in this bourbon, almost like the 'O' yeast strain recipes. There was some mint, which tracked with this recipe, but this one really surprised us.
Four Roses OESV Recipe (Low Rye, 'Delicate Fruit' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Tobacco and bruleed sugar, caramel, linen, bubblegum, leather, earthy notes
Palate: Caramel and brown sugar, quite sweet; starchy stone fruit and cherry, some chocolate, peppery tannins, a hint of tobacco
Finish: Oak, barbecued wood, a bit spicy, with caramel, linen, blackberry, and black pepper as accents
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Floral, brown sugar and molasses, baking spice of cinnamon and cardamom, sugar, lightly nutty
Overall thoughts: Oak-dominant, a bit spicy, but we do get some lighter baking spice flavors. There are subtle dark fruit and light fruit notes; we found this recipe changed quite a bit from tasting to tasting.
Score: 7.5 / 10
Value Rating: 7.30
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OESV as "delicate fruit & caramel." We did get some of that delicate fruit and caramel here, but also a bit of darker fruit. The absence of a dominant rye note allowed the oak to have a strong influence as well.
Four Roses OESK Recipe (Low Rye, 'Slight Spice' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Vanilla and citrus, molasses, toasted oak, a slightly nutty, side, but a darker sugary complexion overall
Palate: Caramel and molasses, lots of brown sugar, toasted oak, burnt sugar or bruleed sugar, subtle orange fruit
Finish: Nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla - lots of baking notes. Pears, and sugary caramel build later
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Brown sugar, vanilla, strong baking spices, a bit of nutmeg and oak
Overall thoughts: Lots of toasted oak and sugary notes, both light and dark; some baking spice pairs with light citrus fruit and soft oak spice.
Score: 7.2 / 10
Value Rating: 7.13
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OESK as "baking spice & light oak." Yep, this tracks - lots of baking spices and sugary notes, as well as a bit of oak spice and lots of vanilla. We found a distinct toasted oak note in multiple tastings as well, which we enjoyed.
Four Roses OESO Recipe (Low Rye, 'Rich Fruit' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Dark complexion with tobacco, cherries, cardamom and sweet caramel. Lots of red fruit, with a lighter creme brulee topping later
Palate: Red fruit of cherry, strawberries, and other berries combines with tobacco and cigars, as well as lots of spicy oak
Finish: Leathery, some oak tannins, but lots of red berries too. Cherry cola, Vanilla Coke, strawberry, hints of rye
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Cherry and dark fruit mix with brown sugar and caramel; peppery oak and leather show age
Overall thoughts: Nice dark fruits notes and some sweet, sugary accents like creme brulee and vanilla; takes extended oak aging well with some tobacco flavors and a bit of cola.
Score: 7.7 / 10
Value Rating: 7.63
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OESO as "rich fruit & vanilla." We think they nailed this profile - lots of red fruit flavors, and with the absence of the rye spice, there's lots of vanilla and sugar from the oak aging.
Four Roses OESQ Recipe (Low Rye, 'Floral Essence' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Light fruits like grapefruit and orange, maybe stone fruit like peaches; cedar wood and linen combines with a floral scent
Palate: Lighter oak and leather, some baking notes such cinnamon and vanilla. Floral notes, followed by light fruits of banana and apple
Finish: Citrus, bruleed sugar, and cream soda mix with toasted oak, some cinnamon, and a soft herbal or floral side in the background
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: Perfumed oak, caramel, demerara sugar, and molasses combine with vanilla and fruit rinds
Overall thoughts: A lighter recipe with some sweetness but also floral notes. Light fruits (citrus, stone fruits) mix with mild baking spices.
Score: 6.9 / 10
Value Rating: 6.80
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OESQ as "delicate grains & lightly floral." Unlike OBSQ, where we didn't find much of the floral essence, it was definitely on display here. Lots of floral notes, quite bright and light, and a little bit of bright fruit to pair with it.
Four Roses OESF Recipe (Low Rye, 'Herbal Notes' Yeast)
~8 years old, 52% ABV
Nose: Strong oak and vanilla notes, buttered toast, a bit of licorice and cola. Subtle, more mellow, with some orange peel
Palate: Nutty - pecans, then oranges and anise. Leathery oak, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and grain come next
Finish: Leathery and oak, with some prickly tannins and amaro-like spice. Bright vanilla builds, and we get some barbecued wood notes
Any additional thoughts from our experience with SBBS bottles: N/A
Overall thoughts: A bit more oak-dominated, as the distillate has a lighter influence. Bright, sugary with a little oak spice, more dominated by baking spice notes.
Score: 6.9 / 10
Value Rating: 6.96
Do we agree with the Four Roses description the profile? Four Roses describes OESF as "light oak & mint." We didn't get as much of the minty rye spice in this one - more oak spice, which was also suggested by the profile, but then some baking spice notes as well. Overall, we think fits their suggested profile somewhat, but not exactly.
Overall rankings by recipe:
OBSO takes the top spot, followed by OESO; we love that dark fruit element you get from the 'O' yeast strain. On the flip side, OESQ and OESF were a bit more challenging for us, but we still enjoyed those samples as well.
When we compare the two mashbills after all of the blind tasting sessions, we ended up scoring the high-rye mashbill (7.4 average score) a little bit higher than the low-rye mashbill (7.2 average score). This was in line with our general expectations, as we tend to favor bourbons with a nice spice element in the flavor profile to balance that sweetness from the corn and oak.
Now, onto a ranking on the five different yeast strains:
The 'O' yeast strain (Rich Fruit) wins by a significant margin, again reinforcing the fact that we enjoy a red fruit or dark fruit profile in the bourbon we drink. The other four profiles were much closer; we enjoyed the delicate fruit profile (V) as well, but were a little more ambivalent on the herbal (F) and floral (Q) yeast strains.
In general, we found that our tasting notes aligned with the suggested profiles from Four Roses... some of the time. The 'O' yeast strain recipes, with their dark fruit influence, were relatively easy to pick out; on the other hand, the 'Q' and 'F' yeast strains, with the floral and herbal influences, were more subtle and hard to decipher. The mashbill definitely shows through on these bourbons - much less rye spice on the 'E' recipe, whereas the 'O' high rye recipe had a lot more spice across the board.
Good bourbons overall, and it reinforces the fact that we really enjoy the variety in these Four Roses recipes; we'll continue to snag the barrel proof versions when we see them on the shelf.
Cheers!
