The BEST BUY in Four Roses? | Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Four Roses Single Barrel BLIND REVIEW
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
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OUR NEXT LIVESTREAM
Sunday, February 13th @ 9pm ET/8pm CT
GLASS ONE: Four Roses Small Batch Select, 104 proof, $60-65
GLASS TWO: Four Roses Single Barrel, 100 proof, $40-50
0:00 -- Intro
1:45 -- First Impressions
5:05 -- Tasting Discussion
8:43 -- Reveal & Reactions
14:16 -- Real World Scores
16:18 -- Who Are These For?
18:24 -- Bloopers
We entered this matchup into our blind sample pool because they're both staple offerings from Four Roses. We wanted to see how they compared blind to determine which was the better value.
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I don't love the small batch select, but single barrel is one of my absolute favorites.
@@a.ericschlobohm97 so you disagree then
@@a.ericschlobohm97u dont make any sense
So glad I found this Channel. Such a chill vibe with good folks. Really enjoy the content y’all. Cheers
Thanks so much W&W! That's exactly what we're going for and we appreciate you noticing. Cheers!
I have to say, the blind sample pool is such a great idea. Very well done and unique! I've also enjoyed both of those bottles quite a bit.
Thanks Jake! It's an incredible amount of work to put together and maintain week to week, but we feel like the honest and unbiased opinion it offers is worth it. We appreciate you watching and commenting!
Great video! Josh reactions to the reveals are my favorite parts of these videos. Well, that and Erin's hair. lol. It sure has grown a lot since this video. I'm sippin Four Roses SB right now.
Always nice to find folks with similar palate preference to me. I fell in love with 4R SBS immediately after trying it. Subbed and enjoying your catalog of videos at the moment.
Welcome aboard and thanks for watching!
Just stumbled across this video. I LOVE 4R Single Barrel, and because of that I've been on the fence about getting the Small Batch Select. Wasn't sure if it would be different enough to warrant the extra money. Now I think I will get it!
I agree 100% with this video. I wasn't a fan of the 4R single barrel that I tried at a restaurant. Mind was blown after trying the 4R small batch select. I've had the bottle less than weeks and its almost empty.
Two of my favorites. The single barrel is $39 and SBS is $52 in my area. The SBS is better tasting overall and the S.B. is one of the best sub $40 bottles out there.👍🥃
Those are some fantastic prices. Congrats!
Very timely! I just got my first bottle of Four Roses yesterday (day before this video released). I got the Single Barrel because it's a high rye mashbill. As I've worked to figure out my tastes, I tend to like ryes and high rye bourbon, so SB was the choice for me. Or so I thought. I wasn't overly impressed. It wasn't terrible, but I'm with you guys. At the price point (although I found it at Costco), there are much better options on the shelf. Again, love your videos. Thanks for keeping it real.
Thanks for watching Joshua!
Great idea a lil prolonging but satisfying results.
Absolutely love your reviews and the way you do your program! Love 4 Roses, never have had the Select, but find the SB changes through the mash billed. My daughter just got the Select for her boyfriend and I almost confiscated it. :-) Have to get the Select, in Texas it is in the mid 50's and I can find the SB for low 40's. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much Scott! We appreciate you watching!
4 roses single barrel is my daily drinker, but I do like small batch select. Love the show.
Thanks so much Scott!
I swear you both can read my mind. I have been wanting to try something new to me, and I have picked up, and put back, both of these several times in the last few days, but have yet to pull the trigger. Appreciate your opinions.
Sure thing OMC! Hopefully we help steer you toward the right one (or away from both if neither are a good fit for your palate). Cheers and thanks for watching!
Love the out-takes!!!!!
Thanks OGA! We always try to include them whenever we have any to include. They're one of our favorites as well. Cheers!
$60 may be a bit much for a cocktail spirit for most, but Small Batch Select is my go to for a Paper Plane.
4R SBS is my favorite widely available bottle on the market. I'm like you and when I run out I'll go the next day to replace. It's definitely worth the 60 bones.
Enjoy your videos, the structure, and your relationship! Getting a little tired of single thumbs up across the board for Josh on every blind tasting though...even when he says "it's not my jam" haha
Thanks for watching and for the feedback Schim. We're probably due to make an updated video on a concise explanation of our scoring system but you're points are noted.
If you want us to go a little deeper on why that happens from time to time then we're happy to get into it (and it was addressed--at least in part--in this video when I said they're two different pours for two different occasions/moods, each was rated as such, and the way I felt about the taste factored into my retail and consumer ratings which is where one pour pulled ahead). Alternatively I/we could rate things 100% on our specific personal preferences with no regard for the category it fits within, but that would end up being pretty unfair to 90% of bourbons in Erin's case and unfair to almost everything under 110 proof in my case. I personally try to rate things based on what they are instead (easy sippers vs flavorful pours vs high proof powerhouses) just to give everything a fair shake and I'm trying to remember to speak to that point during the scoring for clarity's sake.
We'd love to discuss on a livestream some time. If you ever get the chance to pop in and pose the question, please do!
Love this review! I get a mint aftertaste on 4R Select. That must be the herbal element you mention. Always forget Select is slightly higher proof. I have been drinking 4R Single Carrel on a rock lately. I find the caramel sweetness comes forward. Both very nice bourbons. Cheers!
We've gotten mint on it before as well but that note seems to have dissipated over time as the bottle got more air. It's an interesting pour for sure. We tend to agree on the SiB over ice. Such a versatile bottle those are. Cheers Jeff!
@@stuffandwhiskey Great comments about the mint. I did notice it more at fresh crack than later in the bottle. Enjoy!
Just picked up single barrel at Costco for $36.99 and it's fantastic, especially for that price. May have to go back and get a second one of this batch QS 75-1 A
At that price it’s a no brainer to grab another. Great value for sure!
I had to go back in time to view this blind comparison. I find Small Batch Select more consistent and flavorful than Single Barrel. It's in my top 5 !!
Definitely more consistent, and while more expensive, the "safer" spend between the two for sure!
I found a Four Roses single batch unicorn today at the ABC in Destin Florida. It was level 6 like yours. Hard to find. Much darker than level 1 compared side by side. Taste test coming
Floor 6, warehouse ME. Quite a bit of variation in the SB in my experience but that was by far the best
Awesome channel!
Thanks Scott!
Thanks for the review. Tough for me to get on board with the 4R Select being better than 1920 or Russell's single barrel for like price.
1920 hasn't fared well for us in blinds, *especially* the batches with the new labeling, but Russell's SiB is a good callout. Definitely two different beasts. Russell's is classic bourbon to us whereas SmB Select has that classic bourbon foundation with a more fruit-forward element to it that Turkey lacks (unless you happen across one of those cherry-bomb Russell's picks). Definitely two different pours for two different moods around here, but if only buying one, Russell's wins all day for sure.
I've not had the Small Batch SELECT (it's beyond my budget), but I have had the regular Small Batch, and I'm currently working my way through a bottle of the Single Barrel. Of course different bottles of any single barrel will be different, but I frankly prefer the Small Batch. Indeed, I'm not sure that my Single Barrel is much if any better than the regular "yellow label."
I've always been a 4 Roses fan, gone through a couple of SB and one SiB. Kind of a sentimental pour, as the first true bourbon I tried was the SB that was gifted to me when I was getting into the bourbon scene. I've heard mixed reviews on the SB Select, but heard enough good that its on my shopping list. SiB I'll buy again some day, but am holding off on for now.....hard choice between that and New Riff, both very good. Oh and I understand and fully appreciate your bell curve ratings.....I've seen so many 7 to 9 out of 10 ratings, hard to say whats good and whats not. The bell curve makes the most sense to me.......lets just not get into how many standard deviations good or bad a whiskey is!!! Cheers and Great Review!
Thanks so much Mike! We know the bell curve rating system isn't widely adopted in the whiskey space, but we feel like it best represents our thoughts when tasting blind. So much of the hobby centers around hype but the differences are so much more subtle when tasting blind than folks would have you believe. We've ran across a few standout pours for our palates, but a solid 75%+ of products we're tried aren't remarkable blind.
Real World scores made me laugh.. thanks for another good video, btw your next live stream is the same night as the super bowl.. guess I am gonna miss that game...
We've got something fun in store. Think "second half Super Bowl watch-along" for some whiskey and football fun. We can't wait!
[Raising eyebrows] "I'm not getting any of that." Normally, I'm skeptical of two-person whiskey reviews. One person always rambles off a list of scents/tastes, while the other nods their head in agreement and says, "Yeah." Then they switch, and the first rambles while the second nods and agrees. This video was my first visit to the Stuff & Whiskey channel, and I must say, it's refreshing to see people who are unafraid to disagree or show surprise at the other's nose/palate notes. Thank you for keeping the reviews honest. Because of that, I'm a subscriber for life, and Stuff & Whiskey will be my first Patreon subscription. Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks so much for the kind words a Christopher! We have a lot of fun filming but at that end of the day we’re very aware that people may spend their hard earned money on bottles based on what we say, and for that reason we always have to keep it real. Cheers!
I bought the standard 4 roses and enjoyed it. Infact I've cooked with it and made a 4 roses bourbon Glaze for a smoked duck over cherry wood. It came out awesome. Cooking and sipping. Both are a hit. The Select is my favorite. I'd like to see you 2 compare the 4 roses to Bella mead cherry cask.
Smoked duck over cherry wood, you say? 🤤 You've got us hungry over here, Troy! Cheers and thanks so much for watching!
@@stuffandwhiskey thank you.
Sipped my Denver-sourced Small Batch Select with y’all. I think I may have some leftover Single Barrel in a sample bottle, but I know it’s not my jam. I am mostly in a continual Small Batch vs Small Batch Select debate right now, as Select finally hit OKC two weeks back.
We have to get another Small Batch to try. It's been over a decade but that used to be a go-to bottle. We've got a video/livestream idea centered around revisiting the things we used to drink back in the day to see how we feel about them now that we're years down the road.
I have gotten a few drinks of the single barrel at bars. It's nice. I own the barrel select. I too did not like it at first but once it opened up it was one I like. The single barrel costs £41 and the select's £58. The cost is really good for London. My normal bourbon costs in the mid- range is around £60, so I would give it a good rating.
Super interesting to hear of other people with the same experience on the Small Batch Select. Seems to be fairly common to not like it at first but to really enjoy it once it gets some air!
What's my lunch for today! Beef bologna sandwich 😁
Eggo's and bologna. That sounds pretty good. C'mon Erin, live a little! I do like both of those bottles but usually pick up the single barrel. I need to blind them though and not just be cheap about it. Cheers!
We related to this comment on a deep level, Mike. We do tend to reach for the SiB more often as it's usually findable for $40 in our market if we're willing to wait on stock at certain stores. Sometimes cheap wins out.
No chill filtering makes a difference! SBS all the way
Bought a bottle of single barrel yesterday at an Oregon store for $49.95.
So what about Oscar Meyer bolgna....LOL! I'm getting a definite boloney resistance in this video! BTW, 4 Roses was one of my early pours and still remains one of my favorites, pretty much any product.
Our history with Four Roses goes way back too. Somehow still an underrated brand in our book but their flavor profile isn't for everyone. Cheers Ron!
The Small Batch Select is, so far, the best bourbon I've had.
I have to get the small batch
Always like these blind head-2-head matchup. Josh - she gave a hard no to the bologna.
Thanks for watching David!
Just finished my first bottle of Four Roses. It was the Small Batch, and for a budget bottle, surprisingly solid bourbon. Unfortunately, no Small Batch Select in my area, but the Single Barrel sounds right up my alley. Cheers y'all! 🥃
Select may be coming soon. They're ramping up distribution since release and eventually want it in all markets from what we've heard. We need to revisit the standard Small Batch. Used to be a go-to a decade and a half ago.
Single barrel is my favorite sipper
Single Barrel could be different in any bottle
I think the Four Roses Single Barrel shines most in a comparison with Blanton’s Single Barrel. In that sense, it’s the cure for FOMO IMHO. I hope that comparison is in your sample pool.
The other blind that Four Roses Single Barrel would be an interesting comparison against is the John J Bowman Single Barrel. Specs are almost identical (proof, price, availability, age) but different distilleries and mash bills.
Funny you should mention that comparison Eric. We agree. ;) th-cam.com/video/8fkS3snUnSw/w-d-xo.html
Not sure if we have John J Bowman vs Blanton's in our pool but we'll check and add it if it isn't already in there. That would be a great comparison, although we're pretty sure we know which bottle will win in a landslide victory. Cheers!
Never had Small Batch Select I really like the Small Batch. Single Barrel I have from Four Roses is yummy. 🌹🥃
If you like the Small Batch and Single Barrel offerings then it's pretty safe to say that the Small Batch Select would be right up your alley. Cheers Jared!
@@stuffandwhiskey I actually got the Small Batch as a Christmas gift set from my twin brother it came with two rose shaped plastic trays that you can freeze up and put in the drink for it on the rocks. This was the first time trying Four Rose's product loved it then I went and got the Single Barrel from Four Roses and my twin brother tried that at my place and he likes the Single Barrel more and I like the Small Batch more👍🏻🌹🥃🥃Good thing bout Four Roses is their bourbons are easy to find
We put fried balogna on French toast. It is good Josh.
Sweet and savory. It's a beautiful thing.
I'm just waiting for Buzzard's Roost French Oak to be sold outside of Kentucky and Mass. Anyone's who's had it will understand...
Anything four roses is good to me
I'm a big 4🌹 fan and tasted them blind a while back. I chose smbs but being $20 over the sib is a bit of a drag. BTW, you can find the sib for $43. Does that $7 dollar difference change your thoughts on the sib?
Around here we have some stores selling it around $40 as well, but have heard it's closer to $50 in most markets. For us, $40-45 vs $60-65 doesn't change our assessment of the whiskey blind, but it definitely means we reach for the cheaper bottle more often.
LOL. You got too drunk for simple math! Great vid, as always.
Oh we don’t have to be tipsy to screw up simple math. 😂
Wait, did Erin give us her thoughts on bologna?
I will be having fried bologna on Lego waffles I repeat I’m definitely gonna try that
Just don't step on them in bare feet.
Josh -- "Thank me later." Erin -- "Gross." Haha!
@@stuffandwhiskey You can call it the southern Mc griddle we can start a campaign and get it on the McDonald’s menu
Thanks for the Three Roses compar....beep...."bdwilcox has made a clerical error and wrote Three Roses for reasons unknown".
As for the ending, this is how it plays out in my mind...
Josh loses it, "Just eat the damn bologna!" Erin digs in, "Nope!" Ain't marriage grand? LOL
BTW, bologna is gross but fried bologna is literally amazing, especially if it's fried in butter. If you ever come up to the NY, NJ, PA area, you NEED to try a pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich on a roll with a little ketchup. Depending on where you are, it can be called Taylor Ham or pork roll but most places recognize both terms for it. It will blow you bologna-loving mind!
This comment made our day. Cheers BD! And one of us will definitely be trying that if we're up that way (definitely only one of us though, haha).
Since it's the FR Single Barrel can you please state what is on the label? Which Warehouse? Which Barrel?
Sure thing Scott. It's the standard 100 proof single barrel offering. This one in particular is an AN 26-6I bottle.
Do you have wilderness trail 6 year in the blinds?
Our only Wilderness Trail bottles are picks but we definitely need to get the standard 6 year offering into our blind pool. It's on the "to buy" list.
Sams Club, of all places, where I live carries the single barrel for 36, Total Wine , 3 miles away, has it for 54. I would NOT buy it for 54, but I buy it regularly for the 36
$36 for Four Roses SiB is a flat out FANTASTIC price. We'd be hard pressed to buy anything else under $40 if that were available at $36. Cheers Ted!
four roses SIB is $40 here all day.
If you had to pick, which bottle are you consistenly reaching for: 4R Small Batch Select, OF 1920, or New Riff SB Bourbon?
Between those three it would definitely be between New Riff SiB BP and 4R SmB Select. Truth be told we're not big OF1920 fans. It's in some blind head-to-heads for the channel so we'll see how it fares double blind, but it's come in dead last in every single blind head-to-head or flight we've put it in. We're much bigger fans of 1910.
@@stuffandwhiskey yeah I find that the 1920 is a bit hot and it takes a while for it to open up and mellow. After a few months, its really enjoyable, but I don't think it's as good a value as the 4R SmB Select or the NF SiB BP.
It's amazing how much great minds think a like. I know NEITHER of us have a clue as to what each other's pre-recorded content is.. 😅😎
Intrigue levels are rising. Can't wait to see what you guys have up your sleeves!
small batch select is on sale by me for $50. I've been passing it always getting something else.
If you like rye or rye-forward bourbons then it’s an easy buy to try at $50 in our book. That said, it’s certainly not for everyone. Glad to know it’s out there for that low though. Cheers!
Could you name me 5 of your favorites at $50
Have you ever tried Michters Toasted?
My local store has a dusty bottle of it on their top shelf for $109
Is it any good?
well now i will have to try this blinnd since i have an unopened bottle of both. You should try pork roll its the fat cousin of bologna.
Sold! And when you do them blind, we'd definitely let them sit in open glasses for a good 15-30 minutes prior to sipping if you can. We think it makes a world of difference, especially on a newly opened bottle.
I need a little more clarification....does Erin like bologna? :) Another awesome video you guys! I'm happy to be a new subscriber to your channel!
We're happy to have you, Jeff. Thanks so much for watching buddy! Cheers!
Bless your hearts, math is not a strong suit at your house, is it?😁
We definitely were having much more fun filming that mathing in this one, that's for sure. 😂
Math is hard 😂
No lies detected. Cheers and thanks for watching Eric!
I drain poured the small batch select. Tastes like prechewed spearmint gum to me. Not bad whiskey but not at all for me. Couldnt do it. The single barrels are always solid, less flavor but more balance and better flavor to me so that would be my pick. Never seen one for 50, always 40. Im just not a big four roses fan in general. In my experience you either love four roses or you are very "meh" on them.
Very fair points. Oddly enough we were so close to just drain pouring this one ourselves and the second half of the bottle was flat out fantastic. It'll be VERY telling as to how we feel about the first half of the next bottle we buy. That said, we are Roses fans, and many people aren't.
I had the same problem at first. Mine got better after some air time. It reminded me of scope mouthwash at first.
@@roscoepcoltrane23 next bottle we open we’re going to let the glass air out for a couple of hours prior to the first pour and we might just leave the cork off the bottle for a few days too.
The small batch select is £20 more than the single barrel so pass on the select. At £60 rare breed and new riff arey choices.
Great point Andrew. Rare Breed and New Riff are definitely even more in our wheelhouse than the Small Batch Select. SmB Select is almost a secondary addition to having those on the shelf for those occasions when we want a classic bourbon profile like Rare Breed and New Riff but with more fruit-forward notes.
It's an unfair contest, your comparing a 4 recipe blend to 1 of 10 single barrel recipes, how is that a fair comparison? "/
Truthfully there are no “fair” comparisons in whiskey as taste is so subjective and ever-shifting. All we can do is try the products we have and report what we find.
You much prefer glass 1 but you give them the same ratings. Makes no damn sense
Josh here. They were both good pours, but in the end they didn’t score the same. Keep in mind that our blind tasting results and personal preferences play into the retail and consumer scoring too, which is where my preference really showed through. They're just different pours for different occasions but neither was bad and deserved to be marked down. In the end the preference showed through in the real world scores, which is really what matters. Hope that helps clarify the scoring some. All the best and thanks for watching Jeff.