Four Roses Single Barrel 2026 Collection OESQ Review

Nestled just south of the small Kentucky town of Lawrenceburg, Four Roses Distillery has long prided itself on a quality bourbon that stems from production as early as the 1860s. Having been to the distillery personally, the small batch producer makes a big impact with a small operation. Four Roses creates variations in their bourbons, especially the single barrel series, by using five separate yeast strains and two differing mashbills, for a total of 10 different options. Four of the strains, V, K, Q, and F, have been recently highlighted in the 2026 single barrel collection, which consist of 4 separate single barrel expressions using a different yeast strain. This gives any enthusiast the ability to compare and contrast a variable seldom focused on by producers.

Today’s review focuses on the OESQ expression. For clarity, each letter in the title carries significance: “O” indicates the location of distillation being the Four Roses Distillery; “E” indicates the mash bill used; “S” designates the expression as a straight whiskey; and “Q” indicates the yeast strain. The “E” mashbill is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley and the “Q” strain of yeast, is described as “delicate grains and floral character.” Aged 7 to 9 years and bottled at 50% ABV, this expression fits a bourbon man’s classic bourbon with a unique and interesting spin.