They say it all began when the founder became smitten by the beauty of a Southern belle. She said “Yes” to a proposal by wearing a corsage of four red roses. Ahhh. The rest is history or is it? Four Roses was established in 1888. It is somewhat unclear where the name Four Roses comes from, as several different stories are told about. It was probably named for company founder Rufus Mathewson Rose, his brother Origen, and their two sons.
Around the end of the 1950s, despite the popularity of the brand, owners decided to discontinue the sale of Four Roses Bourbon in order to focus on sales of blended Whiskey. Four Roses continued to be unavailable as straight Bourbon in the U.S. for more than 40 years – until 2002, when they again focused exclusively on Four Roses Straight Bourbon.
Four Roses distills ten separate Bourbons using two mash recipes and five yeast strains.
Trivia: Four Roses is the preferred drink of hard-boiled detective Philip Marlowe.
What does Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson's
Smartass Corner
Whisky or Whiskey? The spelling differs geographically. In Scotland and some other parts of the world distilleries usually spell it Whisky; in Ireland and USA they spell it Whiskey.
New bourbon drinker, scotch is my drink. This is a great in road to becoming a bourbon believer
Kenneth,
I really enjoyed this one. The color and nose are what sold me before the taste. I was surprised at the spice level of this one. I am going to try this as a mixer to see where it ends up but looks like a solid bar staple.
Sam,
For bourbons you can grab off the shelf anytime I think this is my top. Just down right delicious
Cynthia,
Hmm I had high expectations for this one from the ratings, but I found it to be on the dry side, and very spicy and strong. Tasted it neat, then added some water, but it still really packs a punch. I wrote in my log “high notes” on this one, with a maybe ever so slight bitter aftertaste.
Joe,
This is my go to mixing bourbon. Up there with makers & bullet but better price. You could drink it straight but I’d rather have something a step up for that
David,
Great beginner Bourbon. Sweet on the nose and initial taste, with just the right amount of burn on the finish.
Paige,
Not a bad bourbon! Traditional nose of vanilla and caramel are present with hints of banana. The palate fills with oak, spice and a subtle nuttiness that finishes with a fruity, rose and raisin note. I wasn’t able to depict much of a coffee flavor as others mentioned but felt this was a nice product from Four Roses overall.
I did allow my next pour to breathe for a few and found the spiciness to tame and open up more on the palate.
Lawrence,
Great bourbon. One of my favorites. Rich and fruity. A must have
Robert,
Good. Solid bourbon at this price point. It becomes a choice of flavor preference.
Muriel,
Sweet and smooth
Steve,
Very smooth with and without ice. One of my favorites. Nice flavor with just the right amount of bite at the end.
Matthew,
Good opening sweetness followed by a lot of heat, which kind of hides other possible notes
guest,
Very smooth
Harrison,
After being slapped with fruit you'll be backhanded by a bitterness of coffee grounds. The good thing is that it's all a fairly pleasant experience.
Bradley,
It like too mild for my taste. Otherwise ok.
Jason,
With all the hype this is getting I expected more, it has the traditional bourbon sweetness of sugar mixed with the slight caramel oak flavor and spicy finish. Average bourbon in my opinion.
Antti,
It is an outstanding, rich, Straight Bourbon Whiskey with a fresh birth; while a rich & full life leads to a long & rich death with notes of spice.
Aaron,
Solid bourbon with traditional flavors.
Stephanie,
Up front spice and to much banana. The nut finish was great
Anthony,
Sweet, savory and very drinkable.
Zach,
One of my favorites to keep on hand at all times.
Kent,
I enjoyed my bottle. I liked how the flavors lingered, but didn’t care for the floral/sweet. In the end just a little underwhelming.
Alice,
Solid above-average bourbon. But that's the problem, it gets lost in a sea of above-average bourbons. Lacks that special something to set it apart and make it a must-have.
guest,
Sweet and smooth - will keep this one stocked
Andrew,
What a belter! As a bourbon lover this is a definite must have for the home cabinet
Aimee,
Yum!
Ryan,
Private selection for Wineworks, Marlton, NJ. Age 9 yrs 9 mos. 57.8% ABV. Nose of ethanol and faint caramel, opens with additional fruitiness and sweetness with water. Taste is mineral with corn and mild oak. Finish is harsh with mild bitterness. Overall disappointing considering its reputation.
Kenneth,
Really enjoyed this on the rocks. Full bodied and lingering vanilla is on point. Great in an old fashion too.
Justin,
Sweet but tasted a little strong for me. The finish is long and strong. Not awful but this was a one time purchase for me.
Benjamin,
Very good, the floral taste can be a bit overwhelming if you're not expecting it. Very smooth as well. Bravo.
Gary,
Smooth and sweet. Just a little too spicy for me.
James,
Smooth and sweet with a nice after taste
Erwin,
The smell was fairly strong spicy, medium sweet and a little fruity. Taste was also fairly strong spicy with a hint of sweet caramel. Complex and lingering. I don't usually like sweet, but this was good.
Alex,
Amazing!!! Instant favorite
Bernard,
Love the stuff, nice sipping drunk. Full flavor no after burn. Phillip Marlow had good taste...
Scott,
It’s a nice bourbon, the taste lingers for a bit. It doesn’t just bite you then it’s gone. It has a nice flavor.
James,
My flavor’it Ever
Steven,
Novice whiskey drinker, but this is my favorite so far. Complex flavors compared to other bourbons I have tried. Will definitely be keeping a bottle on hand whenever possible
Kevin,
Very good
Zack,
The flavors mixed very well! I was pleased with how great a taste this was at such a low price.
Kevin,
Definitely my go to when on sale, sweet and awesome, smooth, just a great bourbon.
William,
Very smooth, so much so that I almost forgot it was a Bourbon!
Michael,
Just okay. There are others that I enjoy more, but I've also had much worse. This is an average bourbon
guest,
Caramel spice with some oak
James,
Flavorful less liquory
Andrew,
Easier to find than I thought.
James,
Pretty bland to me however for a 100 proof it's pretty smooth. Just not alot of flavor.
Eric,
Super smooth, but that’s really all it has going for it.
MATTHEW,
Smooth with a subtle hint of raisins
Robert,
Pretty disappointed about this one after seeing the other reviews. Just doesn’t have enough depth for me. Very smooth all the way around but a fairly bland flavor to me. I do get the sweetness and the spice that is expected but that’s it.
Matthew,
This is okay. I think there are better bourbons at lower price points. It is single barrel, so it really depends on which one you get.
Deja,
I love Four Roses!
Rick,
It was just what a single barrel should be sweet, Carmel a little spicey and very smooth. One of my favorites
Israel,
Very smooth. I was surprised by the spice upfront that balanced the sweetness. The finish had notes of fruit, caramel, and coffee. It lasted quite a while. Definitely enjoyed this in the sample sample pack.
Sabrina,
One of our favorites. Spicy sweet caramel tastiness
Emily,
Really solid bourbon. Classic flavor. Starts off sweet then has a nice finish. Affordable essential to any home bar.
Adam,
Excellent bourbon, one of the best out there.
Chris,
High spice and very spiky notes. It's a single barrel so maybe I just lost lottery because this always is highly recommended but was quite unpleasant.
Reinier,
Smooth
Jason,
This started it all for me
Clay,
Very smooth. This is a favorite of mine
Dominic,
My new fav
Katherine,
Very smooth. Slightly and surprisingly smokey
Tyler,
A bit sharp with less complexity
Peter,
Grassy
Gina,
A favorite and a staple in my home bar. A little sweet and spicy. I like the original and small batch as well.
Eric,
For the price you can not beat this. I wish they had the cask strength single barrel. Smooth anyway you drink it.
Pete,
I agree with a lot of other reviewers that this is sort of a middle-of-the-pack bourbon. Pleasant nose, typical oak, vanilla, caramel flavors with a slight alcohol burn, and a short finish. Not a terribly complex bourbon, but somewhat easy to drink. For the money I'd rather drink Bulleit or Larceny.
Ryan,
It's pretty good and really sweet. Don't really get why they described it as, "winey." I'll probably forget about it though.
MARK,
Great flavor.
Stefani,
Not sure why this was picked for the 2018 awards. I find it to be a little better than middling at best. A good bourbon but forgettable. There are better bourbons at this price point. I use it as a mixing bourbon rather than drinking neat. Maybe that says it all.
Justin,
Great if you want a more full-flavored complex bourbon. If you want a smoother, less complex (less fruit and spice notes), try the standard Four Roses for almost half the price. You can't go wrong.
guest,
Very smooth, no “Kentucky Hug” I get a floral taste. One is my favorite bourbons.
Marshall,
Fruit, fruit, more fruit, then finished in fruit.
Josh,
I mean, it's bourbon. It's good. But something about this hasn't hit me. Too hot, not enough sweetness or depth, possibly.
Gary,
One of my favorites that I always have on hand. Enjoy the Small Batch also.
Keith,
Great
KEVIN,
I HAVE A FEW SINGLE BARREL STORE PICKS FOR MY OWN SHOP THAT I HELPED PICK, TWO OBSV AND ONE OESK, FULL PROOF.
guest,
One of my favorites for the price!
Michael,
Smooth and a good every day bourbon. I like this slightly more than the four roses small batch but only slightly.
guest,
Yummy!
guest,
Delicious! Aromatic with a delightful taste. Very, very good and will be my #1 bourbon!
Christina,
One of the very best bourbon's available. Smooth, complex, rich, delicious. I go back to this one often.
guest,
Delicious
Greg,
Its fn awesome
Michael,
A “go to” bourbon.
Chris,
Based off the flavor of their standard bottle I was expecting a lot more from this small batch, it just didn’t have the full flavor I was hoping for
Patrick,
Always lovely. Keep one on the bar at all times.
Dennis,
This is an exceptionally interesting, uniquely bouqueted drink. I am a fan. Oranges, florals, spice, caramel- What’s not to love!
Ashley,
love four roses in an old fashioned or hot toddy... not as much neat. smooth, but no recognizable flavors when drinking on its own. for the price point, you can find much better.
Chad,
This bourbon stands up to bottles twice the price. You cannot go wrong.
Todd,
Very smooth taste, highly recommend.
Thomas,
Blanton's Gives your a box of chocolates, then smacks you on the ass.
Four Roses: SB gives you a Snickers bar, then kicks you in the balls.
The strength of the alcohol overpowers the flavor. too much. I could taste the sweet flavors, but only after i waded through the proof.
I wont stop you from trying it, but i wont buy it again.
Brian,
I really enjoyed this Bourbon and now consider this one of my favorite Bourbons!
Christopher,
First time I tried this. Very good. Finishes nicely.
Shant,
Like stepping into a strip club and getting adequately served by the first performer that walks up to you, the aroma hits caressingly with nutty sweetness. As you take a drink, again that sweetness hits you but warms gradually in your mouth. Taking in more, the warmth grows, and you can't help but wonder, why they thought the smell was "winey."
Brian,
Pretty good. Like buffalo trace better. Been making some manhattans with it
Will,
Loved it
Michael,
Nose has sweet malt, honey-like notes and vanilla, with some darker Port wine-ish notes lurking beneath. Pleasantly aromatic.
Flavors are sweet to semi-sweet up-front: caramel, slightly burnt sugar, dried fruits bound together with a floral under-tone. Notes of toasted nut, oak and light smoke come in the mid-palate, leading to a long and lingering spicy finish, betraying the rye-heavy mashbill. Adding a dash of water seems to lengthen and expand the mid-palate more, making the wood more pronounced, but this one sips just fine neat.
Extremely well-balanced and drinkable, FRSB is one of the best I've tried in this price range- sweet but not cloying, with a fabulous finish. Expect some variation between bottles, being that each is taken from a single barrel (for reference my bottle lists Warehouse SN and Barrel 28-4C.)
Lewis,
Very smooth and caramel flavor.
Kurt,
Great taste and finish. And I love the different recipes. OESQ is by far my favorite bourbon.
Steven,
There wasn't much complexity to this one for me. It's my first bottle of it, so I won't judge the entire brand on this just yet, but I'd put it there with other go-to bourbons I like. Similar profile to me as the Evan Williams Single Barrel oddly enough.
Travis,
Fantastic! Smooth and easy.
Alexander,
Not sure if I hit a bad bottle. This was like rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. No flavors came through at all. Hope I can find another bottle to see if this one was bad or had sat in the sun possibly.
Matthew,
Four roses isn't my preferred flavor profile but a good bourbon.
James,
Takes a strong base of 4R and eliminates some of the harshness
Adam,
This particular bottle of Four Roses (Single Barrel) had alot of natural wood flavors in this. Very flavorful and had some hints of spice.
Steve,
This is one of those bottles that are better after you open it and let it sit for a couple weeks.
Alma,
Far too sweet for my taste, the sugary fruit notes made this Bourbon almost undrinkable for me.
Bob,
Taste more of the spicy then the sweet
Dan,
My first love in bourbon
Brian,
Uber sweet - candy-ish but good.
guest,
Great whisky to start your palette
Bret,
Great Bourbon for a good price. Nice semi-sweet first taste. Nice long finish. Love the finish. Well worth the price.
Charlie,
Great whiskey!
guest,
Love it!
Michelle,
Our favorite by far!
Kendra,
Love it
Joseph,
Good stuff
Jason,
Smooth and sweet - excellent drink.
Bradley,
Strong, bold sweetness
Tyler,
Decent flavor, but better bourbons at the same price point
Duane,
Beautiful flavors with a splash of water.
Patrick,
It’s ok. For the price point there are far better choices out there.
Marcus,
Might be too sweet without that bite but that makes it perfect. Wouldn't even guess it is 100 proof!
Osbert,
Very smooth with a hint of bitterness.
DOUGLASS,
Smooth, sweet, but a little better on the finish.
Jeff,
Excellent- can vary barrel to barrel
This is a must try and reasonable price for the quality
Mike,
Bought a bottle when the craze first hit. Really enjoyed it. Have not had a good pour since. Inconsistent flavor would keep me from purchasing another bottle
guest,
Super smooth, agree that it is sweet, fruity, and caramelly.
Felicia,
My favorite of all time. Best for old fashions
Charles,
A very solid bourbon. Rye heavy. If you can find a private barrel pick which is significantly more expensive, they offer 10 recipes. Half are higher rye, half are higher corn. I prefer the higher corn...these are 9 or 10 out of 10 in my book. Well worth the price.
Bianca,
Very woody and rich. Excellent bourbon!
Joseph,
Love this bourbon
Al,
I just like scotch better.
Nicholas,
Easily one of my favorite bourbons. Great from start to finish. Throw a few drops of water in to get an entirely different ride.
Duane,
One of my favorites.
Jeremy,
Sweet and smooth. Not too complex. One of my favorite bourbons.
Brian,
OESF very smooth
David,
One of the most favorable bourbons out there for a very decent price. Top five.
Wesley,
Sweet thick and smoky oak. It’s a higher rye mashbill but don’t let that scare you away. I have tried several rye’s and liked none of them. I do however, really like this.
Lynn,
First hit very aromatic. Then long pleasant finish
Chris,
Pretty strong for bourbon, but after a drop or two of water it'll open up more flavors and is just delicious and smooth.
Tim,
Love the rich bold flavor and the bite of spice very very nice to sip
Tara,
Four Roses makes some really good bourbon. The single barrels are consistently good.
Mitch,
Great taste- smooth
guest,
Such a smooth sweet blend!!!! What a nice taste!
Justin,
This is one my favorites hands down for the money. Just a great flavor profile.
Caylub,
Really good and smooth
Aaron,
Loved it
Chris,
Little to strong but great for mixing
Daniel,
Keep this in the house at all times!
Aaron,
Very good, I really like it with just a couple drops of water really opens it up.
Lisa,
Very smooth
Brian,
Staple!
Matt,
Definitely from four roses
Chad,
This is my go to bourbon. Can’t go wrong with Four Roses!
Patrick,
I enjoyed this a lot. The only thing I didn't really like about it was the charred oak was a little more prominent than I'd prefer. Other than that it was good!
Matthew,
Love this bourbon.
Joe,
Smooth full bodied but not harsh. Great on its own or in mixed drinks
Larry,
smooth, with just a hint of a sweet finish, very nice
NICK,
Sweet aroma with hints of vanilla. Initially is sweet and transitions to carmel followed by spicy notes. Decently smooth for a bourbon. If I wasn’t having whistlepig I may go for a bottle of this.
guest,
Nice
Marie,
Smells lovey, somewhat harsher than expected!
Nicholas,
This is the typical floral-y Four Roses mash blend, but at a slightly higher ABV, so it has a bit more intense/sparky hit ahead of the usual herbal finish.
Dale,
One of my staple bourbons.
Nicholas,
Spicy definitely taste the vanilla. Goes down smooth with a spice at the finish.
Matt,
My go to burbon
Kevin,
Hands down, one of my favorite bourbons. A must for any bourbon lover.
Ben,
Good stuff
Shawn,
Full Cask strength, 112-125 proof with excellent hints of caramel, vanilla, etc... definitely my go to bottle
Kenneth,
I can’t say enough about how good this is.
Kerry,
One of my favorites. Currently have a bottle of the private selections from Friar Tuck (OBSV), but Barrel proof versus the 100 proof standard. Well balanced. Caramel, vanilla, oaky.
Eric,
It's tasty, warms you right up in the winter months and will get you drunk enough to make poor life choices quite quickly. Mmmm...bourbon.
Ross,
Nose: light vanilla, toasted coconut. Tasting Notes: astringent, lightly sweet, long warm burn. Finish: long warm peppery burn, lightly sweet end. A little lacking for sipping, but stands up nicely in an old fashioned or julep.
Lance,
Amazing stuff!
Mr.,
Sweet and easy drinking
roberto,
mild-medium smooth
Edward,
My favorite, nice spice, nice finish
guest,
Nice.
Shawn,
not the best taste
Tristan,
Outstanding... sweet maple and wood nose. Orange peel and anise on the palate with such an smooth yet spicy finish. This is so good!
Garth,
One of my favorites
Steve,
Solid selection. Toasted oak, caramel and vanilla.
Greg,
Undrinkable
Glenn,
A very good whiskey. It's a shame you can't list the recipe in your "details" as each single barrel is different. It has the recipe right on the bottle. A great woman's whiskey. My wife loves it. Neat.
Mark,
I'm just getting into bourbon and I liked this one a lot. It has a kick, but is smoother than some and is full flavored.
Doyle,
My go-to favorite bourbon. Smooth and lingering flavors of caramel, fruit. Perfect for a late evening cigar conversation.
guest,
An extremely good whiskey. It is a wonderful balance of flavor and ABV. In a world of many premium bourbons and escalating prices, Four Roses Single Barrel is an outstanding choice and value. I might add, their distillery tour is highly recommended. I also appreciate their own unique style of creating flavor profiles.
guest,
Very flavorful. Floral and creamy as a bourbon should be. Super intense, you can feel it go all the way down to your stomach.
Johnnie,
Excellent mix of flavors and smooth
Eric,
Classic and timeless. Smooth finish with just a little bite. If you're a bourbon drinker, then you have to have this in your collection.
Chris,
Super smooth great whisky not quite Blanton's but a damn fine single barrel
guest,
I find Four Roses Single Batch to be one of the most balanced bourbons on the market. It isn't as "caramel" as Maker's Mark. It isn't as "oaky" as Woodford Reserve, Larceny and Knob Creek.
As a mixologist/bar tender, I find that this bourbon works perfectly in an Old Fashioned! This is one of my favorite spirits!!!
William,
Put bottle in freezer, when you want some pour it in a glass, no mixing needed. Great for sipping and sharing with friends.
Also goes great with homemade lemonade.
Michael,
Great depth and flavor profile, agree w/flavor spiral. A beginning, middle, and end. Felt like 3 experiences. Recommended.
Wade,
Great taste and very smooth
MARK,
Above average
Michael,
Well crafted and delicious not amazing but very good bourbon.
Doug,
Friday after work when I want to unwind
Adam,
Smooth and nice.
Eric,
Enjoy, reminds me of the best of days taking me back again to remember good times had by all... smooth in a fine craft cocktail!
Walker,
Very smooth
Brian,
Smooth and tasty
Anthony,
Sit down. One or two cubes. Enjoy.
Gary,
Very good every day Bourbon!
Josh,
I enjoyed the floral notes and bounty of flavors here.
Joseph,
Floral, sweet, and smooth. Both this and their small batch are excellent, both in price and quality. Tastes deceivingly like a bottle twice the price. Enjoyed neat or with a few rocks. Because this is warm, smooth and not too boozey, it is a great steppingstone for introducing a friend to the world of bourbon.
Bruce,
Nice, easy drinking bourbon.
guest,
Sweet / spicy
james,
I like this whiskey its smooth compared to jack daniels
Jimmy,
Pretty good.
luis,
One of my favorite drinks, goes great with sweet cigar.
Overt,
Good flavour. Found it a bit harsh out of the bottle. But smoothed out nicely with some air and a bit of ice. Great for the price
Boyd,
This is probably my favorite so far. Good flavor and very smooth
guest,
I enjoyed it. Thought it mellowed out nicely with ice
Shawn,
My go-to bourbon. Excellent served neat.
guest,
I found it a bit harsh, though it mellowed nicely as ice melted. Finish was lingering, but a bit biting. I'm not getting the characteristics most seem to be. Will give it another run.
henry,
This One is very lite and sweet....
a good one for a small party to enjoy....
John,
Super tasty. Love the way they age there barrels
Colin,
I think that in 1963 it cost $4.99 for a fifth. Now.....wow
Kevin,
Excellent Bourbon in my opinion. Smooth oaky caramel with a very long finish that enjoyably stays with you for a little while.
guest,
Couldn't believe it was from Four Roses. They have quite a history to overcome.
John Wirth
guest,
Very smooth, a whisky for a less experience drinker. Sweet, honey, caramel, fruity, oak, nutty. This is one nobody wouldn't drink. The nose is not as good as a average SM in this category, typical Bourbon. It lacks a depth of a older single malt and the aftertaste is short, but I recommend this if your more a Lowland or Speyside drinker. I bought it in the sale for just € 26. So much better than Jack Daniel's Black. It's even a match against Chivas 12, Glenfiddich 12 and Glenlivet 12, totally different and therefore interesting to have it aside your classic SM. Not a disappointment, nice bottle. 50%!
guest,
Smooth, slightly sweet. Makes a great old fashioned.
guest,
Love the long finish
guest,
Solid
Glendon,
Maybe the best thing I've ever put in my mouth.
guest,
Good
Eric,
Smooth with a hint of citrus.
Steven,
Of the Bourbons pack this was undoubtedly my favourite. Smooth and refined it was to my taste head and shoulders above the others. I may even have to buy a whole bottle.
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