Four Roses Private Selection Barrel Strength Bourbon OBSK (Whole Foods) Quick Review

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My reviews tend to be long-winded and very in-depth. I know that many readers don’t have the time or patience to read them all. This is why I have decided to create a “Quick Review” format. I’m not going to cover backstories, distilling methods or anything like that if I know I’ve covered it in a previous review of a similar bottle. You’ll find that a lot of these quick reviews will be based on single barrel picks because their backstory is usually the same with the exception of the group that picked them.

Introduction

This Private Selection bottle was purchased for me by a friend in the San Francisco area in either 2020 or 2021. Who knew that Whole Foods sold liquor, let alone sold enough liquor to earn a Private Selection pick from Four Roses? Since then, I’ve seen other Four Roses Private Selections picked by Whole Foods pop up. Usually there are identifiers that will say at least the state that Whole Foods is located in.

Four Roses Private Selection

OBSK is a recipe that I outwardly claim to not like, yet my collection is overflowing with it. I even picked a barrel of OBSK as my top choice during my first and only barrel pick from Four Roses in 2020. Ultimately, the group I was with went with an OESO pick which, I mean, was a great barrel. I just wish I could’ve landed a bottle of that sweet, sweet OBSK. I’m also doing a review of this now despite having owned the bottle for over 3 years mainly because I love the pictures I took of it a few years ago. Anyway, onto the review. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: I find caramel and brown sugar for sweetness. Ground pepper and cinnamon gum offer a spicier side to the nose. Light potpourri, a brief whiff of smoke and a slightly floral note provide some interesting aromatics. Finally, spiced cherries and fig jam show a more fruity side.

Palate: This is a “K” series recipe, which means it should be heavy on the spice. That’s exactly what I find when I dive into my first sip. Cinnamon red hots combine with chili powder to show the power this bourbon has on my tongue. I can find a bit of oak (not always a given for me and Four Roses), vanilla cupcake and molasses for sweetness. The high-rye mash bill shows itself through notes of anise, clove and a few indistinguishable herbal flavors. Fruits come by way of cherries and orange zest. Nothing too complicated, but still very good. This dram drinks every bit of its 119.6 proof.

Finish: Lingering heat from the powerful blast on my tongue earlier. Tannic and spice notes of cedar, cinnamon stick and a dash of leather. Other interesting notes I can find sticking around are black cherry, anise, black tea leaves and camphor.

Score: 8/10

As I wrote my notes, I underlined a couple of my thoughts more than once. They were “complex,” “spicy,” “powerful” and “rye-forward.” I guess that about sums up my feelings for this bottle without having to mess around with tasting notes. If that sounds like the perfect bourbon for you, then OBSK might be a recipe you’d enjoy.