Kentucky bourbon staple Four Roses is finally giving the people what they want next year. For years, fans of the brand have been begging for the distillery to drop all of its ten recipes as single barrel releases—but not all at once.
For those not familiar with the ins and outs of Four Roses, here’s what you need to know. The distillery is unique in one central way from other Kentucky Bourbons: it ferments and distills a full ten recipes to make many of its products.
Those ten different recipes—a combination of mash bills and yeast strains—are all used to make the entry-level Four Roses bourbon previously referred to as Yellow Label. The recipes are designated by four letters that refer to different aspects of each whiskey.
The first letter is always O, which refers to the Four Roses distillery. The second letter refers to the mash bill, while the third is always S, which means straight whiskey. The final letter refers to which proprietary yeast strain is used. More information is on the Four Roses website.
If you’re a brand fan, you’ve technically tried all recipes in some capacity.
But Four Roses' small batch and limited edition bourbons only use a few of those recipes. Even the Four Roses Single Barrel has traditionally used only one recipe—with the expectation of the private barrel bourbons acquired by whiskey shops, clubs, and restaurants, which have access to the other nine.
That will change in 2025.
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Four Roses is releasing three new recipes for 2025: OESO, OBSF, and OESK, as well as with the recipe that has been the standard for single barrel for two decades: OBSV. That brings the total number to four for next year.
Unfortunately, this is where the bad news comes in. While Four Roses will debut three additional recipes next year, the distillery will be rotating the nine previously unreleased recipes year to year. That means you’ll have different options in 2026 and 2027, but the OBSF, OESK, and OESO releases will be shelved through those years. If you want a complete set for your collection, you’ll be waiting until 2027—and you’d better make sure you don’t miss out in 2025 or 2026.
One other downside of this announcement, is that the single barrels are being bottled at 100 proof, instead of cask strength. A tiny nitpick, but also a deviation from the Private Barrel program, which allows whiskey clubs and shops to access some truly impressive proof points.
The news overall is great for Four Roses fans, who have otherwise been constantly on the hunt for new bottles of the more obscure recipes. The only other way to enjoy all 10 had been by finding the Ten Recipe Tasting Experience Kit.
At $50, it goes without saying that this is one of the best deals in Kentucky bourbon today. The seven to nine year age range puts these single barrels up again the likes of Booker’s, Baker’s, Blanton’s, and a handful of other now-legendary shelf picks.
Which one's the best? Circle back for a ranking in about three years.
