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Four Roses Single Barrel vs Penelope Architect
Four Roses Single Barrel and Penelope Architect sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a blender-built, classically built bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Single Barrel | Penelope Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 7% rye, 15% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 104 proof (52% ABV) +4 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $55 ~$15 less | ~$60 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Four Roses Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Penelope Architect
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Single Barrel Penelope Architect
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/6 spice: Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Penelope Architect 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Penelope Architect 7 out of 10
oak 6/5 oak: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Penelope Architect 5 out of 10
fruit 7/6 fruit: Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Penelope Architect 6 out of 10
heat 6/6 heat: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Penelope Architect 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Penelope Architect 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Four Roses Single Barrel: The OBSV recipe on its own at 100 proof — the highest-rye mash Four Roses uses, paired with their most floral yeast. Cherry and clove in equal measure, and a genuinely distinctive glass.
- Penelope Architect: Penelope's four-grain blend finished with French oak staves chosen for their tannin. The French oak adds berry, cherry and warm spice to a vanilla-heavy base.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Four Roses Single Barrel if you want the most expressive, spice-and-fruit-forward single recipe in the Four Roses range at a lower price point.
- Go with Penelope Architect if you want a four-grain bourbon with a French oak finish that adds berries and warm spice.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Architect).