Four Roses Single Barrel Collection, 2025

I’d like to thank Four Roses and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached

IMAGE: Four Roses Single Barrel Collection display featuring bottles OBSV, OBSF, OESK, and OESO, each 100 proof, aged 7-9 years, with unique tasting notes and mash bills.

Who says bitching and moaning doesn’t get you anywhere in life? For as long as I’ve been writing for this site—hell, as long as I’ve been a fan of bourbon—I’ve been bending the ear of anyone at Four Roses who would listen about letting people try all these different recipes they keep bragging about. It’s their differentiator. It only makes sense to let people peek behind the curtain.

And in 2023, they finally listened by releasing the Ten Recipe Tasting Kit, filled with 50ml bottles of each recipe. Because yes, I’m sure it was all me—who else could it have been? Their marketing and product development teams? Pssh.

I thought that was the end of things. But no. Starting in early 2025, Four Roses is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their flagship Single Barrel bourbon with the introduction of the Single Barrel Collection. This new lineup features three new 100-proof bourbons—OBSF, OESK, and OESO—alongside the classic OBSV. Each bottle, aged 7-9 years, showcases Four Roses' unique recipes, blending specific mash bills and yeast strains for a distinctive flavor profile. The collection is priced at $49.99 per bottle, with new recipes rotating annually.

"We are incredibly proud of the recognition our flagship Single Barrel has received over the last 20 years, so to be introducing our new Single Barrel Collection in this anniversary year is something truly special," said Four Roses Master Distiller, Brent Elliott.

So, since they sent me a 100ml bottle of each, let’s see how they taste, shall we?

Four Roses Single Barrel Collection, 2025

Purchase Info: These samples were sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price for each bottle is $49.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: Each recipe is aged from 7-9 years old and at 50% ABV.

OBSF

Nose: Sweet and floral, with mint and oak.

Mouth: Crème brûlée, mint, cinnamon, and oak.

Finish: On the longer side of medium, with lingering notes of cinnamon, oak, and especially spearmint.

IMAGE: A smiley face because I like this, even though it is my least favorite of the four.

Thoughts: This is super minty. If you don't like spearmint, skip this one. But if, like me, you rank mint as a top five flavor, you’ll really enjoy it. I like it a lot.

Comparison to the Standard OBSV: OBSF is a mint bomb throughout—on the nose, palate, and finish—compared to OBSV.

OESK

Nose: Almond, cherry, bubblegum, yeast bread, and a touch of mint.

Mouth: Almond, cherry, caramel, vanilla, and baking spice.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth, with rich notes of caramel, vanilla, and baking spice.

IMAGE: A smile. This is my favorite of the bunch and it makes me smile.

Thoughts: I like this one. The almond and cherry notes blend beautifully with the sweet caramel, vanilla, and baking spice. Nothing dominates; it just melds into a delicious whole. My favorite of the three so far.

Comparison to OBSV: OBSV is more floral on the nose, while OESK is richer and more flavorful on the palate, with a longer finish.

OESO

Nose: Caramel and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cinnamon, caramel, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth, with lingering notes of cinnamon and mint.

IMAGE: A smiley face. Very solid and enjoyable.

Thoughts: Nice and spicy, with lots of cinnamon throughout. The touch of mint on the finish keeps you coming back for more. I like this one.

Comparison to OBSV: Very similar on the nose, but OESO is much spicier on the palate, with more cinnamon. It also has a longer and warmer finish.

Final Thoughts

The OBSF felt a little one-dimensional, with mint taking center stage and only minor support from other notes. The OESK was more well-rounded, with almond and cherry adding depth to the classic bourbon notes of caramel and vanilla. The OESO stood out for its spiciness, with cinnamon shining throughout.

If I had to rank them, it would be:

  1. OESK

  2. OESO

  3. OBSV

  4. OBSF

But your mileage may vary, not only because every palate is different, but also because these are single barrel products, and slight differences are inevitable.

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Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Fall 2024

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached

IMAGE: A clear whiskey bottle labeled "Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2024 Edition" with details about the bourbon, set on a wooden railing with a blurred outdoor background.

Well, hey there. Long time no see. I know I should have told you I was going to be away, but I really didn’t think I would be gone for quite this long. Sure, the holidays are a busy time to be an in-home dog sitter, but I could have probably managed that if my wife and I hadn’t also gotten sick with a nasty cold for most of that time as well. Figures, right? But we got to spend lots of quality time with one another—coughing, snotty, quality time. It wasn’t the most fun we’ve had together, but at least we had lots of snuggly dogs to help us manage.

But you aren’t here to read about my illness. You’re here to read about tonight’s bourbon. Old Fitzgerald is an old, old brand. At about 150 years old, it’s even older than I am. Or my mom. Or her mom. There’s a good chance there might be a couple more ladies up that lineage who have come and gone in that time, for that matter. Popularized by the one and only “Pappy” Van Winkle, Old Fitzgerald was the pride of the Stitzel-Weller distillery before eventually making its way over to Heaven Hill, the current brand owner.

When I first got into bourbon, Old Fitzgerald was a tasty and inexpensive brand for Heaven Hill. Then, it became a tasty and inexpensive “Kentucky-exclusive” brand for Heaven Hill before going off the market. After a brief hiatus, the brand returned as an Ultra-Super-Ultra Premium brand that is hard to find and even harder to afford. I thought that was going to be a mistake on Heaven Hill’s part, but I guess I was wrong. Sure, I haven’t been afforded the opportunity to buy a bottle yet (or even see one in the wild), but obviously, someone has since tonight’s version is the 14th one they’ve released. And at two per year, that means their plan been working for seven years.

I guess there’s a reason I’m not in charge of product decisions at whiskey companies. I’d probably go out of business following a model of “keep things as delicious as you can, sell it for the least you can, and sell a lot of it to make the endeavor worthwhile.” Actually, that sounds a bit like the old “Pappy” Van Winkle quote from when he was in business: “We make fine bourbon...at a profit if we can...at a loss if we must...but always fine bourbon.”

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Fall 2024

Purchase Info: his sample was provided at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $154.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink: $10.33

Details: 50% ABV. 11 years old. Heaven Hill wheated bourbon mashbill.

Nose: Caramel apple, vanilla, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, and apple.

Finish: Long side of medium length and warm with notes of caramel, cinnamon, and oak.

IMAGE: This is delicious bourbon. And delicious bourbon makes me smile. So this is a smiley face.

Thoughts: This is delicious. It perfectly showcases the Heaven Hill house flavor profile. Just tons of stereotypical bourbon notes throughout—rich and full-flavored, oaky but not too much oak. Super tasty. It’s honestly too bad it’s over $10 per pour because this one is very good, and I sincerely wish that everyone was as lucky as I am in getting to taste it. If you happen across it, and the price is worth it to you, jump on it.

If you enjoy BourbonGuy.com, consider supporting us! Make a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. You can also shop our custom merch—tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more—at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER for 5% off orders of $50 or more!

Townie Regular Bourbon, Townie Fine Rye, & Townie First Class Bourbon

I’d like to thank the folks at Bluebird Distilling and their PR partner for sending these samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Three bottles of Townie Whiskey on a wooden surface outdoors: Regular Bourbon (84 proof), Fine Rye Whiskey (86 proof), and First Class Bourbon (100 proof).

It has been a rough week since we last spoke. My wife’s grandmother passed at the age of 99, and one of my dogs may or may not have had a stroke. I’m pretty sure those two things are unrelated, as they never met each other. But there has been a lot of stress in the household as we worked through grief on two fronts.

The good news is that my pup seems to be getting better, even if she does currently need to be hand-fed like a baby. But the vet thinks it should be a temporary thing, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep my pup living a good life, even if that good life now seems like it will be shorter than it did at this time last week. So since I am not in a great headspace at the moment and because we have a lot to cover, let’s jump straight into the whiskeys, shall we?

Townie Whiskey is a brand of “procured” whiskey put out by Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The line is not distilled in-house—at least not entirely—but are instead a line of less expensive offerings that are intended to be…they don’t explicitly say “well bourbon,” but that’s the vibe I’m getting from their marketing. Here is what the brand has to say for themselves:

The brainchild of Jared Adkins, founder and owner of Bluebird Distilling, Townie Whiskey is an approachable and economic counterpart to his scratch-made craft spirits. An unpretentious whiskey line made to be enjoyed straight up or paired with a light beer in a boiler maker. Adkins and his distillers hand selected barrels and blended each expression (with their own scratch-made juice) in order to deliver a high quality yet affordable product.

So, now onto the important part, how do they taste?

Townie Regular Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 42% ABV.

Nose: Green apple, dried grain, and fresh cut hay.

Mouth: Baking spice, apple and dried grain.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of green apple and fresh cut hay.

IMAGE: A neutral face because this isn't bad, but it isn't for me.

Thoughts: Not a fan of this one when poured neat. That said it does ok in a highball or an Old-fashioned. It's a little more expensive than I'd want my cocktail-only pour to be (almost 1.5 bottles of Wild Turkey 101) but pricing tolerance is a personal issue. I'm giving this one a neutral rating. It's not for me, but it isn't like there is anything objectively wrong with it.

Townie Fine Rye

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 43% ABV.

Nose: Cedar, wintergreen, and cinnamon

Mouth: Cedar, molasses, caramel, and a subdued cinnamon spice.

Finish: Bright and of medium length- Notes of cedar, molasses, cinnamon, and caramel.

IMAGE: A neutral face. This one isn't for me, but others may like it.

Thoughts: Neutral on this one too. I think the lack of proof on this dilutes it a little too much. It doesn't have the spicy burn I expect from a rye. This is not to say that it is bad; it is just that it isn't for me.

Townie First Class Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.67

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Caramel, baking spice, and dried grain.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and green apple.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of floral vanilla, green apple, baking spice, and dried corn.

IMAGE: This is a smiley face. Because I like it.

Thoughts: This is much better than the 84° proof version of their bourbon. The online description says it is made from their favorite barrels. Which makes sense based on the increase in quality. I do think the added proof helps too. It has a nice burn throughout the tasting process. Just a touch more green apple and corn than I'd like on the finish, but this isn't bad. Much like all of these, I will probably set it aside for cocktail use, but this one especially would also be ok if it were just poured neat and served to me that way.

If you enjoy BourbonGuy.com, consider supporting us! Make a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. You can also shop our custom merch—tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more—at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER for 5% off orders of $50 or more!

Char & Stave Coffee Liqueurs, Classic Coffee and Cafe Amaro

I’d like to thank Char & Stave and Bluebird Distilling, along with their PR team, for sending these with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Char & Stave’s Café Amaro and Classic Coffee Liqueurs, crafted by coffee roasters, are showcased on a snowy day, ready to elevate cocktails with bold flavors.

Busy day today. I had some work to do, plus I needed to change the light bulbs in my microwave. You’d think that would be easy enough, right? Bulbs burn out. Manufacturers should probably give you easy access to them and maybe even tell you what replacement bulbs to buy. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?

Well, not so much. I spent the entire morning trying to figure out the correct parts on the manufacturer’s website. They were willing to sell the bulbs to me (though they were out of stock), but they weren’t willing to just tell me what bulbs I needed so I could buy them elsewhere. Naturally, I ended up taking the burned-out bulbs to Home Depot, comparing them to what was on the shelf, and picking out a couple that looked like they’d work. Luckily for me, they did. I’m not very happy with GE Appliances right now—it shouldn’t take all day to change two light bulbs—but whatever. Let’s just say I’ll be having a cocktail later.

Speaking of cocktails, I’m taking a closer look at a couple of cocktail ingredients tonight. These were sent to me by the producers for review purposes a couple of months ago. I’ve been sitting on them for a while, waiting for their turn to come up in the queue. Well, today their turn arrived…just in time to soothe away a frustrating day.

So, what are these ingredients? Two takes on a coffee liqueur. The Classic Coffee is exactly as it sounds—essentially a sweet cup of alcoholic cold brew. The Cafe Amaro, on the other hand, is more like a cross between the Classic Coffee and a traditional amaro. It’s nuttier and more coffee-forward than the Amaros I have in my cocktail stand, but it offers more depth of flavor than a standard coffee liqueur. Before I dive into my tasting notes, let’s see what the producer has to say about them.

Char & Stave Classic Coffee Liqueur is crafted using Char & Stave Arabica Coffee and Bluebird Distilling Vodka, one batch at a time with no artificial flavors. The spirit presents a velvety smooth mouthfeel, with savory chocolate notes up front followed by tinges of citrus, and a finish of slightly sweet dried fruits. Shines in an Espresso Martini, White Russian, or “Night Cap” (3 oz. on the rocks).

Char & Stave Cafe Amaro Coffee Liqueur is a bittersweet coffee liqueur blended with a balance of citrus and botanicals spanning Oris root, angelica, cardamom, chamomile, lemon peel, gtrapefruit peel and gentian root – made one batch at a time with no artificial flavors. Shines in a Coffee Negroni, Char n’ Tonic, and more.

All Char & Stave coffee beans are roasted in-house, with beans sourced from small farmers and microplots worldwide. Both spirits are made with Char & Stave Arabica Coffee (62% Peru Cajamarca, 20% Costa Rica Central Valley, 18% Natural Papua New Guina Wahgi Valley). After the beans are roasted, a two-day Cold Brew method is employed to ensure maximum flavor and velvety smoothness.

Let’s see how they taste, shall we?

Char & Stave Classic Coffee Coffee Liqueur

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 30% ABV

Nose: Rich and roasty coffee notes (think a medium to dark roast, not a bright acidic light roast)

Mouth: Sweet and chocolaty coffee notes with a hint of a burn from the alcohol.

Finish: Gentle and of medium length with notes of caramel and chocolate lingering.

Char & Stave Cafe Amaro Coffee Liqueur

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.67

Details: 30% ABV

Nose: Coffee, nutty, gentian root, and a touch of citrus.

Mouth: Coffee, caramel, and gentian root.

Finish: On the longer side of medium and bitter with notes of coffee, cardamom, and bitter citrus peel.

Thoughts:

IMAGE: I’m so happy with these that they get a smile!

Both of these are very nice. Super tasty. I LOVE coffee. I love it even more than bourbon. And the Classic Coffee is just like drinking an alcoholic glass of cold brew. I could easily see myself having a pour of it one lazy afternoon. The Cafe Amaro would make a good sipper if you like to sip Amaros. Not many do. I like to have an Amaro and Soda now and then but I get that I’m an unusual person in my love for bitter drinks.

But where these will shine for people that are not as weird as I am is as a cocktail ingredient. I didn’t know a recipe for a cocktail that used both coffee liqueur and bourbon so I asked ChatGPT for a couple of recipes. They are as follows:

Coffee Old Fashioned

2 oz bourbon
1 oz brewed or espresso coffee (chilled) or coffee liqueur
1 tsp maple syrup
A few dashes of bitters (optional: coffee or chocolate bitters)

The Revolver

2 oz bourbon (preferably a rye-heavy one)
0.5 oz coffee liqueur
2 dashes of orange bitters
Orange peel for garnish

The Coffee Old Fashioned is based on a recipe from Happy Honey Kitchen. The Revolver is from Serious Eats.

Both of these liqueurs work great in both of these recipes. I’m extremely happy with both. The Old Fashioned is pretty basic when using the Classic Coffee, but that’s to its benefit. The Cafe Amaro has just a little too much going on for me when used here. The Revolver is amazing with either, and I am completely floored by how well bourbon, coffee, and orange flavors pair with one another. So good. That’s the one I’m having tonight to round the rough edges off of a frustrating day.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Drinks by the Dram "Bourbon and American Whiskey Advent Calendar" from Master of Malt

I‘d like to thanks the folks at Master of Malt for sending this to me with no strings attached.

IMAGE: The front cover of the Master of Malt Bourbon and American Whiskey Advent calendar, featuring a burning barrel. Inset phtos of the 30cl wax sealed bottles.

It’s Friday, and I’m here, so that must mean it’s time for another bonus post! This week, we’re diving into the Drinks by the Dram Bourbon and American Whiskey Advent Calendar from Masters of Malt. This was sent to me in celebration of the fact that Masters of Malt is finally able to ship to the United States again.

The last time we talked about Masters of Malt was back in 2018, just before they had to stop shipping to the U.S. At that time, I had a fantastic experience with them. They were a great resource for purchasing bourbons that were available in Europe but unavailable stateside. I took a quick look at their site now, and while they do have a few items I can’t get in Minnesota, it’s probably not quite enough to justify the cost of international shipping. However, their Drinks by the Dram program still stands out—it lets you purchase 30 mL (about 1 ounce) sample bottles of spirits you might not otherwise have access to. If you want to try a variety of spirits but don’t want to commit to a bunch of full bottles, this is definitely something to consider. Personally, I don't like Scotch so I skip it and stick to bourbons, other whiskeys, or even brandies.

Which brings us to the Advent calendars. Master of Malt offers a wide range of them—more than I could possibly list here. They’ve got calendars for gin, rum, Scotch, vodka, and even niche options like Peaty Whisky or Spiced Rum. Prices range from $52 to $260, depending on the spirit category and how many days your calendar includes. You can even build your own, though let’s be honest—half the fun of an Advent calendar is the surprise!

The one I received is the Bourbon and American Whiskey Advent Calendar. It’s priced at $136.85 plus shipping, and so far, I’m having a lot of fun with it. Without giving too much away, I’ll say it’s a solid mix of widely available big-name brands, smaller niche distilleries, and even a few gems from UK independent bottlers—like a 24-year-old bourbon from That Boutique-y Whisky Company.

So, should you rush to their website and grab one for yourself? Well, that depends on your situation. For me, $137 plus international shipping is a steep price for the equivalent of 750 mL of whiskey. But if you’re looking for an awesome gift for the whiskey lover in your life? Absolutely. This is a unique and entertaining gift that would last the recipient 12 to 25 days, depending on the calendar you choose. I can think of plenty of people I’d spend that much (or more) on, and I’d grab this as a gift for them in a heartbeat.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye Whiskey

I’d like to thank the folks at Buffalo Trace for sending this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: A bottle of Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, set outdoors on a wooden surface with a snowy background.

It’s a gloomy day today. We had a touch of snow, but it doesn’t look like any will stick around. Still, it feels cold and dreary—the kind of day when you wish your house had a fireplace so you could curl up under a blanket, watching the flames dance. And as evening sets in, if you were to pour yourself a glass of wine or a couple of ounces of something brown, well, who could blame you? Let’s be honest: on a day like this, that hypothetical glass might pair perfectly with tonight’s whiskey.

It’s been six years since I last reviewed a member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Back then, the suggested price hovered around $100; now, it’s climbed to $150. But really, what whiskey hasn’t gone up in price over the last six years? Not many. This time, I got my hands on a sample of the 18-year-old Sazerac Rye. To put it into perspective, this stuff has been aging in a barrel longer than I’ve been writing about whiskey. Heck, it’s been in that barrel longer than I’ve been drinking whiskey—I only started diving seriously into the whiskey world around 2010.

So, let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Sazerac 18 Years Old

Purchase Info: This 100 mL sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $149.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10.00

Details: 45% ABV. 18 years old

Nose: Oak and leather lead the way, with notes of cinnamon and plum underneath.

Mouth: Leather, stone fruits, vanilla, cinnamon, and a hint of cedar.

Finish: Medium warmth and long. Notes of oak, cedar, cinnamon, and just the suggestion of anise.

IMAGE: This is a tasty rye whiskey. It gets a smile rating becasue I like it.

Thoughts: The barrel really takes the stage on this one—which makes sense, given that the whiskey sat in there for the better part of two decades. In fact, the barrel influence is so prominent that it wasn’t until a couple of sips in that I started picking up the cedar notes I associate with rye spice. That said, even though I’m sensitive to overly oaky whiskies, I really enjoy this one. If I happen to see it in a local liquor store lottery, you can bet I’ll be adding my name to the list.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.