Four Roses Single Barrel OESO “Perilous Journey”
Late in 2020, something very odd happened: Four Roses single barrel picks EXPLODED on secondary markets. This isn’t a new program - Four Roses has been doing single barrel picks for years…but the picks would often stay on shelves for weeks after debuting in stores, with only the most desirable groups/stores selling out immediately (think 1789b or Lincoln Road, for example).
First, people looked for the stickers. Then, people looked for the specific runs - in this case, the MW-25 OESO run (meaning warehouse M, west side, rick 25). Another one was the JE-32 OBSF run. I’ve had multiple picks from both - yes, some are great, outstanding even, but seriously, people? $500 for a bottle of Four Roses? Get a grip.
This pick, as with every other one from NJBYC, is a great one. It isn’t my favorite Four Roses of all time - that honor goes to the 2019 Small Batch Limited Edition - but it is an excellent bottle. I have a sister barrel from Subtle Spirits that’s equally good and had a third from McScrooge’s that was better than both the others.
For a few months, I joined the hype and started hunting for specific Four Roses single barrel bottlings. But I ran into the same two issues: one, the price went up every week; two, having the same warehouse and rick as a good pick doesn’t mean the one you’re buying now is good. I decided to jump ship way before the prices crossed the $200 level. My biggest reason for jumping? I decided that the 2019 Small Batch was a 10.0/10 and was one of the best whiskies I’d ever tried. Then, I revisited the relatively new and comparatively humble Small Batch Select as part of Bourbon Heritage Month. The latter in particular hit me. This is a blend of four of Four Roses’ ten recipes (though they wouldn’t use the word “blend”), priced around $50-$60, and was better than most of the single barrels I tried.
The point - if you’re a TL;DR type of person - is that sometimes consistency is key. I understand I might miss out on some legendary single barrels, but I like knowing what I’m buying. If I can buy a Small Batch Select for 1/10th of a single barrel’s price, I’m going to do it, because I know “the fourth rose” is going to be a solid, very good-to-great pour I can count on. Plus, I can use what I saved from the single barrel to buy another 2019 Small Batch…damn that was fine.
Four Roses Single Barrel OESO “Perilous Journey”: Specs
Classification: Bourbon
Origin: Four Roses Distillery
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Barley
Proof: 122.6 (61.3% ABV)
Age: 9 Years 8 Months
Location: Kentucky
Four Roses Single Barrel OESO “Perilous Journey” Price: $80 (retail - $450-$500 secondary)
Four Roses Single Barrel OESO “Perilous Journey” Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark maple syrup. Very thin rims with syrupy droplet legs.
Nose: Delicate yet strong fruitiness - plums and other stone fruits, particularly cherries and nectarines. Cinnamon opens up on the second wave with fresh red fruit acidity. Brown sugar takes over after some air.
Palate: Tingly, chocolatey, and almondine. Stone fruits all mesh together while the chocolate starts to dominate. Brookside chocolate-covered fruits. Hershey almond bars. Air opens up more heat and bubblegum while more cherry and rye sweep in. Mouthfeel is velvety, slight proof heat, the chocolate-covered fruits linger all over the palate with roasted almonds sitting in the corners of my mouth.
Finish: Medium-length, the chocolate gets darker as the fruits start to stew. Air really helps this open up more, going from very good to excellent.
Overall: More chocolate than I usually get on a Four Roses single barrel, though the fruit presence is at a regular level. Delicious, though I won’t pay secondary for it.
Final Rating: 8.1
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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