I'm back after a holiday hiatus to finish up my rundown through all ten recipes in the Four Roses Single Barrel lineup. There are only two recipes left to go and then I'll get into the bonus round with some vattings of Four Roses Yellow Label Barrel Proof. So far the OESQ is the king but up tonight we have it's high rye brethren, the OBSQ. Let's see if it holds strong and does the Q yeast family proud.
60.9% ABV; Aged 10 years, 5 months; Selected by Frugal MacDoogal (Nashville, TN)
Nose: Oaky and sweet. "Sugar Daddy" milk caramel candies comes to mind. There is also a nice light berry presence like raspberries. Definitely the heaviest oak presence yet in a nose. Rye spice is well masked.
Taste: Continues where the nose left off. Heavy, thick, woody oak but well balanced with a dark sweetness like cocoa. Once the wood and spice resigns that sweet signature Four Roses cinnamon spice comes barreling through. The cinnamon in this one is very sweet, much like the OBSK's intense sugary big red cinnamon gum flavor. Significant cherry also starts to come in towards the end.
Finish: Sweet and spicy for days. More cherry. There are some notable baking flavors like baking spices and flour. The sweetness is thick and the spice is surprisingly light but very present. It lasts for quite a while and there is also some bitter tannic oak but it's very mild.
Notes: This is a really good one and I would say probably tied for my favorite of the bunch. Despite being one of the higher rye recipes the spice is very well balanced and not as dominant as some of the other OB flavors. It's quite a bit thicker than I expected. I thought this one was supposed to be "medium bodied" but everything about it very heavy which I love. Sweet, oaky, and spicy which is a nice complex balance. It's everything I look for in a great pour.
Rating: A
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