Four Roses OBSQ "This Charming Man" Barrel
by Four Roses
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$98.50
*Limit One Per Customer for First Dibs Access
"Why pamper life's complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger's seat?" Indeed, this stellar, elder bourbon makes us sit back, leave our cares to the side, and truly imbibe. Worldly, wise, and sensual... it just "knows so much about these things". We picked this barrel out in Kentucky, and it stood out in a blind tasting amongst examples of all ten of Four Rose's recipes as something truly special. We would have never been able to correctly identify the exact recipe, but it certainly made its case on our senses.
"Why pamper life's complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger's seat?" Indeed, this stellar, elder bourbon makes us sit back, leave our cares to the side, and truly imbibe. Worldly, wise, and sensual... it just "knows so much about these things". We picked this barrel out in Kentucky, and it stood out in a blind tasting amongst examples of all ten of Four Rose's recipes as something truly special. We would have never been able to correctly identify the exact recipe, but it certainly made its case on our senses.
The OBSQ recipe is made from their higher rye (35%) mashbill, and the "Q" yeast strain is one of the harder to come by. In their standard lineup, this recipe is only used in the "Yellow Label" Bourbon which uses all ten recipes, though you'd be hard pressed to truly detect its influence. It is called out for lending "floral" notes to the whiskey, and while that may be true at a young age, as it ages for the single barrel program, those notes tend to transform. Per Master Distiller Brent Elliot: "The Q yeast strain’s expressed character is quite different from our other strains, and it is especially interesting how it evolves over time in the barrel. Historically, Q batches were only used at a low formulary percentage for “top notes” in Four Roses Bourbon. The delicate and fresh notes of honeysuckle, rose and lavender – which are very apparent on the nose at younger ages – contribute to the complexity and final character of Four Roses Bourbon. However, once we started aging Q batches longer for our Private Selection Single Barrel Program, the taste changed, melding oak tones from the extra maturation with floral tones to create a candied and rich Bourbon with much more depth and complexity than expressed at younger ages."
This barrel is certainly those things: deep, rich, and full of complexity - at 11 years and 7 months a transformed OBSQ. The nose is a spice box with clove, mace, cinnamon, and ginger. Notes of old polished wood emerge in the background along with a touch of red fruit. The palate hits with strawberry jam sweetness for a second before the spices land, giving a bit of a mulled wine character to the proceedings. A slightly nutty, marzipan like flavor takes hold before leading to a finish of peppery heat, charred oak, and sweet berry compote, coming together for a punctuation like a stinging kiss.