OBSO

RICH FRUIT

At Four Roses, we talk a lot about our Bourbon-making process because it’s so different from other Bourbon distilleries. We craft 10 distinct Bourbon recipes at our Distillery, located in Lawrenceburg, and each of them boasts unique flavor characteristics.

Some Bourbon recipes stand on their own as single barrel offerings as well as being mingled with other recipes to create small batch Bourbons. This month’s recipe, however, is a team player that can only be found in Four Roses Bourbon and Four Roses Small Batch. 

OBSO is made by pairing our high-rye “B” mashbill with our fruit-forward “O” yeast strain. This combination gives OBSO its signature deep, rich fruit notes that balance perfectly with the bright rye spice. The rye provides robust structure, but the defining character of this recipe is the fruit that the O creates. 

Some of the fruit flavors produced by the O strain are maraschino cherry, red apple, ripe cherry and light berry. At the younger ages, the flavors are bright and crisp. But as the recipe ages, increased caramel and vanilla tones mingle with mellowing fruit flavors to create deeper, darker fruit tones that sometimes give an almost-candied impression. 

To give an idea of how influential the O yeast strain is, OBSO and OESO make up just 30 percent of our Small Batch Bourbon – but arguably make the most notable contributions to its overall flavor.

So now that you know what to look for, see if you can identify the influence of OBSO and the outspoken O yeast strain in Four Roses Bourbon and Four Roses Small Batch. And stay on the lookout for next month’s recipe spotlight, featuring the floral charms of OBSQ. In the meantime, learn more about our 10 distinct Bourbon recipes here.