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Four Roses Single Barrel vs Penelope Rio
Four Roses Single Barrel and Penelope Rio sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Single Barrel | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +2 proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $55 ~$40 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- 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 Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Single Barrel Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
spice 8/6 spice: Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
fruit 7/6 fruit: Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- 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 Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
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 significantly lower price point.
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).