I’d like to thank Four Roses and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.
As we discussed last week, I am a long-time fan of Four Roses. Discovering Four Roses was a foundational development in my bourbon journey. In a way, if you enjoy this site, you have Four Roses to thank for it, at least in part. Four Roses was where I discovered the geeky joy that blending can bring (though at one point they would have preferred I use a different word, as blended whiskey was a dark part of their own journey).
The idea that a company was distilling 10 different bourbons and only showcasing a handful of them (at least when I started my love affair with the brand) was mind-blowing to me. As you went up in price on their three core releases, you got more and more proof but fewer and fewer of the recipes in the mix. The prime position went to Single Barrel, which by definition could only have one recipe. They chose OBSV at 100 proof for that. Small Batch was the next lowest in price and proof, using a mix of OBSK, OBSO, OESK, and OESO at 90 proof. And then there was “Yellow Label,” nicknamed as such because, you guessed it, it had a bright yellow label. It had all ten of the recipes (most of the time; I have it on good authority that occasionally only nine make it in there depending on stocks) at only 80 proof.
And the lack of proof on that Yellow Label caused much sadness among bourbon aficionados. The flavor was amazing. The mouthfeel and depth of flavor? Not so much. Not at that proof. Though that hasn’t stopped me from picking it up now and again and then publicly whining about wanting a higher-proof version of their lowest-proof offering. One time, a long time ago, I even made a barrel-proof blend of all ten recipes from store picks that I had picked up. Back then, it was easier to do such things.
So it was with great joy that I opened an email from the Four Roses PR team that was titled: “Four Roses 100 Proof Rolls Out in Bars Nationwide.” I immediately asked if there would be samples and if it was also going to be available at retail. The answer I got to both was yes. This release was developed for bartenders because they wanted a higher-proof version for use in cocktails. But I was assured “it is not exclusive to the on-premise channel” (though there was some confusion on that at first, so you may see others stating otherwise if they published before the correction came out). The suggested retail price is $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle and $32.99 for a liter.
Let’s dig in.
Four Roses Bourbon 100 proof
Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $32.99 for a liter.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.00 (750 mL) or $1.65 (liter)
Details: 50% ABV
Nose: Floral vanilla, caramel, red fruit, mint, chocolate, and a touch of cinnamon.
Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, caramel, stone fruit, and oak.
Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of cherry, cinnamon, chocolate, and oak.
Thoughts: This is so good! It has nice spice. The mouthfeel is very nice. There is a robustness that the 80 proof is lacking. In fact, that robustness is the main difference between the two. The 80 proof might be a little more fruit-forward, but the added spice, caramel, and oak notes make up for that, in my opinion. As I mentioned above, I’ve always wanted just a little more proof, going all the way back to the Yellow Label days. I even tried diluting that barrel-proof mix down to alternative proofs, including 90 and 100 proof just to see how it would react. And honestly, this release is pretty much what I was hoping for with all those experiments. Maybe a little more fruit would be nice, but now I’m quibbling. And it does work very well in a cocktail, holding up nicely to dilution. I’ve spent 12 years publicly, and privately, asking for a release like this and I am so happy with it.
Never give up on your dreams, kids.
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