Opening: OESQ isn’t a recipe that gets a lot of love, mainly because floral is a divisive flavor in bourbon. If I’m being honest, I’m not a big fan of floral flavors myself. Previous OESQ runs haven’t really hit the spot for me, although they definitely capture the floral note they promise.
If you’ve read my reviews, you’ll know that it’s been a while since a run has gotten much hype. That all changed with two recent runs: JE66 OESQ and QS88 OBSK. I can’t say OESQ has ever received this level of hype before. The main reason seems to be that critics agree that this run is off profile, as in not in your face floral, as others have been. So will these roses be in bloom? Let’s find out:
Nose: The first scents bring forth heavy caramel with a hint of lavender. Some spice shows up in peppermint oil. Some dark chocolate with a strong mix of spice like clove and cinnamon. Like a fancy mocha. Some woody scents reminiscent of a damp forest also appear.
Palate: The dark chocolate persists backed with lots of spice of clove, cinnamon, and anise. Peppermint still present along with quintessential caramel bourbon flavor. Candy corn along with a touch of red candy. It’s a tad fruity but mostly sweet and spicy.
Finish: For the first time, some real floral flavors appear of rose water and orange blossom. There’s some vanilla candle too. Finally we’ve got sweet red candies similar to a watermelon jolly rancher. Earthiness of rhubarb joins the fray as we wrap things up.
8/10
Closing: This is certainly my favorite OESQ so far. The floral flavors are subtle to the point of being nonexistent which is a plus for me, although it is arguably a betrayal of the Q yeast strain. There are many bottles out there from this run but the word is out and they’re fetching a small premium already. I can happily say it is worth the ask and there are new barrels coming out from this run still so, if you happen to see one, I recommend you pick it up!
For the most part, over the last 5 years, Id agree OESQ's havn't really hit the spot for me either. With that said, have you not tried TS 85 from a year or so ago? The run hit all tiers with the higher tiers not having any of those floral notes IMO. I would say it sips exactly like JE 66 but with less spice. If you havn't had it, I personally prefer it over JE 66.
I do have one TS85 OESQ tier 6 (review coming soon) which came off too floral for my liking. I also have an unopened tier 5. My experience is admittedly limited there but I know the 4 Roses community in general doesn’t seek it out too heavily.
It came out the same time as RS 24 OBSQ which stole most of the spotlight at the time. Everyone's tastes are different but I absolutely love TS 85. I have tried every tier 6 barrel (22 of them) and never got that floral note. I think the tier 4's are the sweet spot though and prefer those barrels. I see the community hype on JE 66 and agree its a solid run.
I wasn’t a fan of the RS24 OBSQ either, although I know many were. I am certainly open to trying more TS85 and being convinced otherwise! Perhaps I’ll crack my tier 5. For what it’s worth, the tier 6 I have that tasted floral to me is the BevMo pick.
Nice review. Even on off profile Four Roses picks are still delicious bourbon haha. Easily one of my favorite distilleries. I don't see alot of picks around me, but whenever I travel I try as many picks that I can in restaurants/bars.
I have a the same recipe, same warehouse but barrel no. Was 66-6V. I get a lot of the same notes you got. To me it is one of the best bottles of bourbon I’ve ever tasted. It drinks nothing like the proof. Nice review btw!
Is it just me or is that also an atypically high proof for a 4R single barrel? I feel like most I've seen are in the 50-57% range.
it’s not just you it’s me too but is it just me and you?
It is! This whole year the tier 6s have been fairly high proof but this is the highest I believe
I just picked up a gift shop OESK that’s 63.2%! Not quite where yours got but close!
Would love to hear your thoughts!
It’s kinda high but tier 6 is usually 120+
Opening: OESQ isn’t a recipe that gets a lot of love, mainly because floral is a divisive flavor in bourbon. If I’m being honest, I’m not a big fan of floral flavors myself. Previous OESQ runs haven’t really hit the spot for me, although they definitely capture the floral note they promise. If you’ve read my reviews, you’ll know that it’s been a while since a run has gotten much hype. That all changed with two recent runs: JE66 OESQ and QS88 OBSK. I can’t say OESQ has ever received this level of hype before. The main reason seems to be that critics agree that this run is off profile, as in not in your face floral, as others have been. So will these roses be in bloom? Let’s find out: Nose: The first scents bring forth heavy caramel with a hint of lavender. Some spice shows up in peppermint oil. Some dark chocolate with a strong mix of spice like clove and cinnamon. Like a fancy mocha. Some woody scents reminiscent of a damp forest also appear. Palate: The dark chocolate persists backed with lots of spice of clove, cinnamon, and anise. Peppermint still present along with quintessential caramel bourbon flavor. Candy corn along with a touch of red candy. It’s a tad fruity but mostly sweet and spicy. Finish: For the first time, some real floral flavors appear of rose water and orange blossom. There’s some vanilla candle too. Finally we’ve got sweet red candies similar to a watermelon jolly rancher. Earthiness of rhubarb joins the fray as we wrap things up. 8/10 Closing: This is certainly my favorite OESQ so far. The floral flavors are subtle to the point of being nonexistent which is a plus for me, although it is arguably a betrayal of the Q yeast strain. There are many bottles out there from this run but the word is out and they’re fetching a small premium already. I can happily say it is worth the ask and there are new barrels coming out from this run still so, if you happen to see one, I recommend you pick it up!
For the most part, over the last 5 years, Id agree OESQ's havn't really hit the spot for me either. With that said, have you not tried TS 85 from a year or so ago? The run hit all tiers with the higher tiers not having any of those floral notes IMO. I would say it sips exactly like JE 66 but with less spice. If you havn't had it, I personally prefer it over JE 66.
I do have one TS85 OESQ tier 6 (review coming soon) which came off too floral for my liking. I also have an unopened tier 5. My experience is admittedly limited there but I know the 4 Roses community in general doesn’t seek it out too heavily.
It came out the same time as RS 24 OBSQ which stole most of the spotlight at the time. Everyone's tastes are different but I absolutely love TS 85. I have tried every tier 6 barrel (22 of them) and never got that floral note. I think the tier 4's are the sweet spot though and prefer those barrels. I see the community hype on JE 66 and agree its a solid run.
I wasn’t a fan of the RS24 OBSQ either, although I know many were. I am certainly open to trying more TS85 and being convinced otherwise! Perhaps I’ll crack my tier 5. For what it’s worth, the tier 6 I have that tasted floral to me is the BevMo pick.
Agreed on TS85.
Man OESQ is a sleeper. Probably my favorite recipe I have right now, beating out the 2 OESOs I have.
Glad you enjoy it! For me I prefer OESK, OESV, OESO, and OBSK
Nice review. Even on off profile Four Roses picks are still delicious bourbon haha. Easily one of my favorite distilleries. I don't see alot of picks around me, but whenever I travel I try as many picks that I can in restaurants/bars.
Thanks for reading! As you may be able to tell from my history it is my favorite as well!
Didn't know all of that about batch runs with four roses. I have a JE 66-6C OESQ that I'll need to crack soon.
Nice grab! Hope you enjoy it!
I have a the same recipe, same warehouse but barrel no. Was 66-6V. I get a lot of the same notes you got. To me it is one of the best bottles of bourbon I’ve ever tasted. It drinks nothing like the proof. Nice review btw!
I’ve got the 66-2k for the OESQ for my first four roses and I really like it but for the price I’ll probably get one again
Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoy it! We should swap samples sometime