whisky review 388 - Four Roses Single barrel Bourbon 

A ten year old clip, yet as great and helpful as if it had been recorded yesterday! Thanks!

I like how he smells the whiskey and then immediately starts talking again as if the smell gave him inspiration.

i literally had to stop the review to make this comments...So i wouldn't forget to tell you how awesome you are Ralfy!!! As HUGE a fan as I am of whiskies, i am also a current Microbiologist at Montana State University in the USA and I LOVED everything you said about GMO. Not to get off topic, i thoroughly enjoyed this (and many of your single malt) reviews, but i particularly appreciated the way you addressed the split and (as you accurately put) polarizing issue of GMO corn. I just wanted to say, I have always considered your whisky opinions to be top notch, and i am very appreciative of the intellectual manner with which you approach this, and other topics. Carry on Sir, and Cheers!!!

I'm a Four Roses fan and I've been watching all RU-vid videos on this fine Bourbon. This is by far the best video because it is smart, detailed, and genuine. Thank you!

I absolutely love Four Roses Single Barrel. Wonderfully buttery!

Absolutely my go to boubon. Never dissapoints. Keep up the awesme reviews.

This is one of my go to, sipping bourbon. Buffalo Trace is another.

Thank you so much Ralfy. Your reviews are very important to me. Extremely entertaining an enjoyable.

What a wonderful bourbon. You will find it in my bar for certain. I appreciate your review and the fact that Four Roses stays with quality corn and yeast varieties.

I think this one is going to be my next purchase. I love their basic version, great for the money!

Ralfy doing Bourbon reviews is awesome

Four Roses Single Barrel and Blanton's are my two favorite bourbons.

thanks for this review, Mr Ralphy... Four Roses single barrel and Elijah Craig ae my top two Bourbons! Cheers, from Canada:)

Enjoying this series. Learning a lot.. I'm from ky actually so I have some bourbon buying to do. ( nice Dalek & Tardis in the background as well). ;)

I'm loving your choice of bourbons. Wild Turkey 101, Elmer T Lee and Four Roses Single Barrel are among my absolute favorites. Bravo!

Very nice reviews! Thank you sir, for adding to the pleasure of enjoying whisky.

Four Roses are really on the cutting edge of bourbon making at the moment...they are the "it" distillers right now. I love the 'floral' quality to most of the Four Roses offerings.

That eggy, custardy note on the nose is spot on. I was trying to put a word to it.

Hi Ralphy, no question here for you to answer, but just a BIG THANK YOU for the reviews that you provide! My Father who sadly passed 8 months ago also appreciated a fine scotch and thanks to you and him, I have also learned to truly appreciate the same. Thanks to my Dad and you, I truly enjoy a fine drink that reminds me of my roots (England and Scotland) where I can reflect and relax and of course, also enjoy! Cheers from Canada!

While I prefer single malts, I must say this is the best tasting bourbon I have ever consumed. I don't really drink bourbon, but I went back and purchased a few more bottles. Thanks Ralfy!

Thank you Ralfy. Your comments are greatly helpful.

Good stuff Homie. My favorite single barrel bourbon to date!!!!!

I just bought a bottle last night based upon your recommendation. It is my first Bourbon. Warehouse No. HE, Barrel No. 51-2Q.It cost around £35. Looking forward to trying this, my first Bourbon with some friends on Friday night.

Great video. I had Four Roses Small Batch a few month ago. It was good, but not great, and I was ready to write off the whole brand. Then my buddy brought over Single Barrel ... damn! What an excellent Bourbon. I’m still a Scotch guy, but this is an excellent drink.

Great review Ralfy! Love 4 roses single barrel and always enjoy their private select when a vendor buys a barrel. This is my go to Bourbon when I'm not trying new whiskeys (which is quite a lot) Life's too short to just drink one whiskey your whole life but you always need a go to imho. Keep up the great work my friend!

My father talk about it , and thought he was pulling my leg lol , for years not see it on the shelf, and he had past , now I know what he was saying about four roses , it was one of his favorite ! And even at 40%alc/Vol , mix was good , thank Ralfy Help me bring back memories , cheers

40 quid a bottle 4 years ago? Wow the import tariffs of the UK must be out of this world! Love your reviews, keep up the great work! Catching up on all of them now. Cheers!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience, Ralfy. I'm surprised though you gave this bourbon a lower mark than to Elijah Craig.

I love this bourbon, the regular version is good enough for me. I also like the rose label.

Big fan of high quality bourban.this is a quite good one. There is a big resurgence in quality bourban happening at the moment. Great time to be a whiskey lover in the U.S.A. nice selection of excellent bourban that wasn't available 10 years ago.

Something about this is for me: it is absolutely mouthwatering.....

Had a dram of this, and enjoyed very much. Very light and enjoyabe.

One of my favorites! Four roses single barrel. Elijah craig is excellent as well.

Excited to see you review FRSB. One of Kentucky's best bourbons! Looks like a heck of a lineup of Bourbons you will be reviewing. Several of my favorites!!

Hi ralfy, one sort of interesting thing I found out recently about four roses single barrel, is that they will sell/license individual barrel to specific stores. The owner of the store will help select the specific barrel, pre-pay for the ones they want, and four roses, will bottle that exclusively for their store. My local liquor store here in Boulder, CO have done this and are selling some excellent bottles for a reasonable price as a result!

As promised. My mini-review This is my first non-Scotch whiskey. I found the initial aroma extremely enjoyable. Rich thick syrupy toffee fudge, burnt toffee, caramelled popcorn, cinnamon, all spice, apple crumble, furniture polish, cheap honey but dominant was sweet thick maple syrup. I could have continued smelling this for ages. A busy concoction of lovely sweet dessert ingredients.Tasting was far less enjoyable. I found it just too sweet and “in your face” like a sledgehammer of sugar overpowering everything else.. There is nothing subtle or delicate about this whiskey at all. It bombards your taste buds with various kinds of syrupy sugar like a glucose injection. I must say though that I gave it to some friends, guests at our Friday night Shabbos table who said that they really enjoyed it like they would a honey liquor or sweet Crème-Brulee desert. As for me. I couldn’t finish my glass. I poured myself a glass of Glencadam 10-Year-Old. Oh what joy! Delicate, malted roasted barley grain, pastry, digestive biscuits, subtle hints of yeast and vanilla. Sweet heather honey but all balanced beautifully. People talk about certain Scotch single malts being sweet, honey, syrupy etc but all are dry relative to this American Bourbon which is like swallowing wood spicy maple syrup down the throat. I loved the smell but for me, it’s undrinkable. I don't regret buying it though. It was a real education and my guests enjoyed it so it wasn't a loss by any means.

I stopped at a Target store one time to pick up some coffee filters for the office. Since I was there I just went to give the liquor aisle a quick glance. I did a double take when I saw they had priced the Four Roses Small Batch at that of the yellow label, $19.99. So, I bought the last five bottles on the shelf!

One of my favorite bourbons!

Great video Ralfy. Many thanks... The problem with GMO corn is the pesticide that is used heavily with it. Not the corn itself It is called Roundup (glyphosate is the ingredient). Search the web for the damaging effect of the poison Roundup/glyphosate. We buy only none gmo/organic corn to avoid the poison glyphosate. Most people are clueless to the poisoning damages of Roundup/glyphosate. GMO corn is banned in Japan,China, most of Europe. Only the bribing (lobbying) power of Monsanto (aka Monsatan lol) keeps it going in the USA

Four Roses has been really putting out some incredible product the past few years. Single Barrel vs Small Batch is always a good debate, but the Special Editions they've put out in 2012 and 2013, plus the different yeast/grain recipes they've been doing are interesting, complex, and well executed.

Hey Ralfy shout out from North Dakota USA, I've always wanted to go to Scotland, love the Bagpipes and besides it's flatter than a cutting board out here..... I've Never been much for bourbon, it is just too sweet, I like my Rye's and Scotches, Bourbon to me is like a less sweet Canadian or Irish whiskey. When I get home from Welding or Farming from sunrise to sunset, I want something that can kick me on my ass or relax me, Bourbon just doesn't do the trick, might as well drink a rum and coke.....

Another great review from Ralfy!

Hello Ralfy. 7 million visitors, 10 million soon. We'll have a good whisky to celebrate this event

New to Four Roses. Your review prompted to try it with water, since I don't usually do that. I am new to Four Roses so I am still getting used to it's vast complexity. My palate isn't yet developed to all the flavors. On the nose I'm getting this apple/peach smell. On the palate I'm getting a lot of bitter dark fruits and the finish is like herbs and leather. I think you are right about the water adding citrus notes though. Well, I'll have to have another and see!

From what I've heard, Seagrams (the owners prior to Kirin) owned five bourbon distilleries which they eventually consolidated into one. But they kept the different yeast strains from each so they could keep the flavor profiles of the closed distilleries. With two grain mashbills (one being higher in rye than the other), Four Roses can produce ten different bourbons that vary in flavor (in fact one yeast makes the bourbon quite herbal).

Hi Ralfy, I learn a lot listening to you. Like I've said I'm not a drinker. Best as i can tell i had my last bourbon around 1983 or 84 I'm looking at your reviews to see which brand I'd like to try. I've seen 4 Four Roses for many decades however i always thought it was a bargain basement brand. Quite surprised you give it the rating you did. Happy Holidays to You🍸🎅🎄🇬🇧🇺🇸

Thank you Ralphy, for remembering that crop modification is not a black and white issue. We've been modifying our food crops to some degree since farming came about. Hopefully we can use something like genetic modification carefully and wisely. Oh yeah, and thanks for the reviews.

Ralfy your videos are very original,they are watched all over the world, Why don't you earn money with them using ads on youtube ? THANK YOU VERY MUCH ! Because of that I can watch your videos without having to wait a long commercial at the beginning of every video. Thank u !

Ralfy, regarding the location : interesting and unique fact about Four Roses is that the distillery is in Lawrenceburg (very close to Frankfort) but the warehouse and the casks are about an hour away in Cox's Creek. Great review as always !

Awesome review again Ralfy! This bottle is on sale for 27 euros at the liquor store here, might buy it!

Finding a better price-performance bourbon than this one is quite difficult. It's not my favourite bourbon (ie. I do slightly prefer the less complex - but highly precise - Blanton's, for instance), but the value for money with Four Roses Single Barrel is maybe the best I've yet found. Awesome review of a fine spirit! I'm sipping on one now. I live in the US, and I was a bit surprised to hear of the ₤40 price tag Ralfy paid. I bought this bottle about 6 hours ago after getting off work at an alcohol store in Virginia, USA, and while admittedly it was on special, it wasn't a huge price reduction... US$29. Without the special, it's about $34. The exact same bottle shown in the video here. Converted, that's less than ₤20 I paid for this bottle today!!! A near-doubled price is quite extreme, even for cross-country sales. I'm not only surprised, but disappointed as well, to learn of this. Where I live, this is known amongst my friends and acquaintances as the ultimate cheap whisky. ₤40 isn't so cheap! I can even purchase the superior Blanton's for a bit less than that! Then again, some of the Islay whiskies which are my beloved favourite, become insanely expensive here, whereas in the UK they seem quite reasonably-priced. It's about time someone comes up with a way to sell these things across the ocean without doubling the price!

I just picked up some EC 12 the other day. For the price and quality, it is a great value.

You are awesome! I enjoyed drinking Four Roses with you tonight as you reviewed it! I do admit that with a bot of water the flavors were more to my liking. I predominantly drink single malt Scotch and only getting into Bourbon now after 30 years here in the USA. LoL! I just subscribed to your channel by the way...Cheers!

I realize this is an old video but I do wonder if your thoughts have changed regarding how bourbon is used. While bourbon is indeed used in cocktails I believe it is much more often sipped neat these days than in the past. I'm sippng on some 4 roses single barrel now neat and it is indeed fantastic

Love this one. Good value even in Ontario. This is $9 cheaper at the LCBO than EWSB and better IMO.

Malt Mention - Malty-nationals. Love the vlogs !

I like this one alot just got a 3ml dram with my pour and sip subscription reminds me alot of liquorice, hi ralfy

Really a huge fan of your channel, do enjoy every video you make. 4 roses single cask is my #1 burbon from the US. (Do cost 55£ here in Norway). Do you got a review of old paddy ralfy?? Thats the one of a million Irish whiskey🥃

I've had experience with various barrels of this. Some excellent but others not so good. Just varies from time to time.

Another informative, fair and honest review......so any suggestions with moving on from Four Roses , Elijah Craig , Buffalo Trace etc ......?? Thx

great review on an awesome burbon. @54 dollars in Ontario i think is a fair price . cheers.

It's one of my favorite "value" single barrel bourbons. Of course Four Roses makes an elite range of bourbons which are collectible and earn very high markes.

I'm looking forward to your review on Wild Turkey. I recently tried it; I could only get my hands on the 81 variety, but it has quite a pleasing and I dare say almost scotch-like quality, along with the bourbon taste. Though not as strong tasting as other bourbons, that seems to be conducive to larger gulps.

Well put on the GMO controversy. I too believe GMOs have their place in a world where famine is a reality.

I just bought my first bottle of bourbon last month, and based on recommendations from Ralfy & Jason Pyle (sourmash manifesto) it was EC12. Love it! The same company makes Evan Williams, which is a cheaper but still tasty alternative.

great! i love bourbons! BTW, Maker's Mark says they use bio corn and I would think most mid/high range products are made of that too since the price of a spirit is mostly composed of other things than the basic commodities price that are used in its making.

Well done Ralfy! Always educational and entertaining ! Surprised you haven't been approached by a TV network for your own reality show. It'd be much better than most of the other crap they show. LOL!

Hey Ralfie! thanks for the review! I was wondering if maybe you could give me some advice. I'm looking for a nice spicy whisky with a slight smokey/peaty note. I've tried Coal Ila but it was too sweet for my taste. Do you have any recommendations?

An ancient limestone aquifer that runs underneath the Kentucky bluegrass. This aquifer produces a velvety-smooth water that is ideal for making bourbon, but found nowhere else.

I know you have given good marks to the regular elijah craig. Have you been able to try the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. I am an american whose first love is scotch but the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has reminded me how good some bourbons can be. Slainte Ralfy, thank you for all you do for the whisky community.

Would love to see a Basil Hayden, and Buffalo Trace review!

Yes, I had this same impression.

really loving the bourbon series so far, good choices up on the shelf.

The bourbon you tasted is single barrel but not cast strength. Great review.

Four Roses Single Barrel has gone down hill since the bourbon craze. Anything after 2016 has been unremarkable.

"Genetically modified" is a pretty vague and misunderstood topic.Gregor Mendel was experimenting with genetic modification in the 1860s. Like you mentioned, the technique isn't what's bad. How the process is exploited by corporations, like Monsanto, is what's bad.

Interesting review. In the US, Four Roses in the 50s through the early 2000s Four Roses was certainly not considered high quality. It was more rot gut. Crazy how things change with ownership. I got a bottle of Small Batch I can't wait to try. Also, very curious to hear about Bernheim. It's one of my favourites.

Hi Ralfy, I enjoy very much your reviews. I live in Brittany France, and I was wondering If you tasted a whisky from the Warengheim distillery? I bought an Armorik single malt Original Edition (or so they say) they are promoting here in Brittany. I really didn't like it, I found it too light in flavor, too oily and containing too much alcohol smell and not enough malt smell even if it's only 40%. What do you think about this distillery?

this may sound odd but I don't like to hear the specific tasting notes in reviews of whiskey that I haven't tried. If I'm drinking the whiskey while watching the review I love to know what you taste but if I'm just watching the review in preparation of finding something new I prefer less specific tasting notes.. simple stuff. sweet sour strong weak light heavy .. things like that. but... if I haven't tasting it saying has hints of lemon oil doesn't really seem to be info that I use. I'd rather know where the taste takes you. what it reminds you of or even what it compares to. the personality of it. not so much the exact tasting notes. love this channel. easily my favorite reviewer of whiskey. I am I no way complaining just thinking out loud about how I consider whiskey and what I think about when watching a review. hope I made sense lol.

My older brother bought me a bottle of this whiskey, warehouse JW, barrel 78-4C.

That Jefferson's rye is good stuff. Sourced from the same place as the exceptionally grand (and exceptionally pricey) Whistlepig.

Hi Ralfy. Ive been doing some homework re. NAS malts as I had promised a while back. I started w/Br.Rocks. which is 7yrs&9mo old. w/a little snoopin I've disc BRocks is a vatting of 5,6,7 yo Bourbon Oak matured Bruchladdich malts then another 9mo finishd in Syrah wine casks. Awaiting reply behind reasoning of their absence of Age Stmnt on the bottles. stay tuned maltmates. Peace

My nearest bar has Elijah Craig 18 year old for ten dollars a dram. It is exceptionally good.

Ralfy, I highly suggest the Jefferson's Presidential Select range. The 17 and 18 Stitzel-Weller casks were great. Havent tried the 21 yet.

In Appalachia we genetically modify some plants for enjoying.. ;) We do not generally do for others we enjoy.

@Ralfy Stuff Have you ever tried Basil Hayden 8.Y.O Bourbon? Cheers Maltmate!

EC12, that is! (just couldn't resist picking it up today)

Tried this recently after seeing rave reviews. It was OK and I liked the higher ABV but also thought it very woody, needing water and a lot of time in the glass. Anyway I was wondering how evident variation would be in their 'single barrel' range given no blending to achieve consistency. Is it worth going back to? ps Very much looking forward to the 'Bernheim review, been wanting to try it foe a wee while now

I'm excited for the Pappy Van Winkle review. Do you happen to have a bottle of Blanton's hiding up there? That happens to be a personal favorite.

Considering what to treat myself to for Christmas, Ralfy; Four Roses Single Batch or Willett's Pot Still Single Barrel or any other bourbons you could suggest, around the £50 mark? x

@RALFY, is it possible for whiskey to change flavor? It's delicious, but took a sip a week later, it seems it has more alcohol burn, seems almost tasteless (not as sweet,) added water burn still there, certainly not enjoyable anymore. Bottle stored on shelf, no sun, 82 degree weather outside, closed bottle. It's so odd, it was really delicious.

How do you think the small batch four roses compares to the single barrel? personally I like the small batch better.

Ralfy, at the end of the series, I would love it if you could comment on the range of flavors in bourbon vs single malt scotch. I'm always amazed at how varied the flavors in scotch are, when the mashbills are all the same (with some variation in barley strain), while bourbons flavors are in a much tighter range, even though their mashbills can be very different. Does it all come down to the requirement of new oak barrels in bourbon?

I hope our views give Ralphy the financial stability he needs to just enjoy life and help us discover some favorite bottles.

Garrison Brothers Straight Bourbon Whiskey also uses non-GMO corn in our bourbon.

Hi Ralfy. What you reccomended : Four Roses Single barrel or Wild Turkey Rare?

I know its been awhile since the video. But I found a bottle in Ga. Today 10 -21 for 44$ and the standard bottle for 21.26$

I hope you will include my favorite bourbon which is Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon, 63.70% abv (127.4 Proof) cask strength in the upcoming reviews. It can be had for $47.00 in southern California which is a bargain. I do not see it on the shelf behind you; I do see the Elmer T. Lee on the shelf and it was my first introduction to quality bourbons.

Just go full on peat, Laphoraig. LOL, I need to try the Ardmore. Ardberg isn't bad, perhaps a Bowmore? Lagavulin is nice too but I would trust Ralfy's recommendation first!

nice distinction on GM.