{"id":3671,"date":"2026-09-20T15:16:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T20:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkansasliquor.com\/?p=3671"},"modified":"2026-09-20T15:17:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T20:17:04","slug":"crossroads-four-roses-obsq-11-year-115-2-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkansasliquor.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/20\/crossroads-four-roses-obsq-11-year-115-2-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"CrossRoads Releases an 11-Year, 115.2-Proof Four Roses OBSQ Private Selection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Arkansas Single-Barrel Release \u00b7 Bryant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CrossRoads Releases an 11-Year, 115.2-Proof Four Roses OBSQ Private Selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A cask strength single barrel built on the high-rye B mash bill and the floral Q yeast strain, pulled at eleven years and one month and bottled without dilution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reserve at CrossRoads<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
What does OBSQ mean?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Four\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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11 Yr 1 Mo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Age statement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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115.2 Proof<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

57.6% ABV, cask strength<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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OBSQ<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

High rye, floral yeast<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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$94.99<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

750 mL at publication<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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A rare recipe lands in Saline County<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CrossRoads Wine & Spirits in Bryant has released its latest private barrel: a Four Roses Private Selection cask strength single barrel, recipe OBSQ, aged eleven years and one month and bottled at 115.2 proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two numbers carry this barrel. Eleven years is well past the age at which most Four Roses private selections are pulled, and 115.2 proof is high enough to deliver weight without crossing into the territory where alcohol flattens the aromatics. The recipe is the third variable, and it is the one worth understanding before the bottle is opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CrossRoads is pouring the barrel at its tasting bar, consistent with the store’s standing practice on private picks. The bottles are on the floor now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Barrel facts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Identity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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  • Distillery:<\/strong> Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Program:<\/strong> Four Roses Private Selection<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Type:<\/strong> Cask strength Kentucky straight bourbon, single barrel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Retailer:<\/strong> CrossRoads Wine & Spirits, Bryant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Specifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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    • Recipe:<\/strong> OBSQ<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Age:<\/strong> 11 years, 1 month<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Proof:<\/strong> 115.2 (57.6% ABV)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Mash bill:<\/strong> 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Barrel code:<\/strong> FS 31-3Q<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Format:<\/strong> 750 mL<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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      Price at publication:<\/strong> CrossRoads lists the bottle at $94.99<\/strong>. Single-barrel inventory moves quickly, so confirm availability before making the drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A note on the proof:<\/strong> the retailer’s online listing title reads 115.1 proof, while the shelf talker, the store’s announcement and the bottle label all indicate 115.2. The label states 57.6% ABV, which converts to exactly 115.2. We are reporting 115.2.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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      On the floor at CrossRoads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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      Decoding OBSQ, letter by letter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Every Four Roses recipe carries a four-letter code. The first and third letters never change. The second and fourth are the ones that matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      O<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The distillery. Every Four Roses recipe begins with O for the Lawrenceburg plant. It is constant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      B<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The mash bill. B is the high-rye recipe: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      S<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The spirit type. S denotes straight whiskey. Like the O, it never varies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      Q<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The yeast strain. Q is the floral strain, the most aromatically distinctive of the five.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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      The Four Roses recipe system explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Most bourbon distilleries make one or two mash bills and ferment them with a single house yeast. Four Roses does something different. It runs two mash bills and five proprietary yeast strains, and every combination is distilled, barreled and aged separately. Two times five gives ten distinct bourbons under one roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Those ten recipes get blended in varying proportions to build the core lineup. When a retailer selects a private barrel, it gets one recipe on its own, undiluted and unblended. That is why store picks like this one are the only practical way for most drinkers to taste an individual recipe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      The two mash bills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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      Mash bill B (this barrel)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      60% corn \u00b7 35% rye \u00b7 5% malted barley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      At 35% rye, this is a genuinely high-rye bourbon by any standard, and it sits close to the legal threshold where a mash bill would be classified as rye whiskey. It brings spice, structure and a drier backbone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      Mash bill E<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      75% corn \u00b7 20% rye \u00b7 5% malted barley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The corn-forward recipe. Twenty percent rye is still above the industry norm, but the extra corn pushes sweetness and body forward and lets barrel character read more clearly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      The five yeast strains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Yeast is the variable most drinkers underrate. These strains create aroma and flavor compounds during fermentation, which means the character is present in the distillate before a barrel ever touches it. Four Roses assigns each strain a one-word signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      V<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Delicate fruit. The classic strain the others derive from.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      K<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Light spice. Baking spice and rye bite.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      O<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Rich fruit. Darker berry and stone fruit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      Q<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Floral essence. This barrel’s strain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      F<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Herbal. Mint and green notes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      All ten recipes at a glance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Five recipes run on the high-rye B mash bill, five on the corn-forward E. The descriptors below reflect the general character each combination is known for, not tasting notes for any specific barrel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      OBSV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Rye spice with pear, apple and vanilla. The flagship single barrel recipe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OBSK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The spice-forward combination. Baking spice, vanilla and cherry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OBSO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Deep red and autumn fruit over oak and rye spice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OBSQ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This barrel. Robust, spicy and floral, with berry lift.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OBSF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      High rye meeting herbal yeast. Mint and green spice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OESV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Softer and rounder. Light fruit over caramel sweetness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OESK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Spice against a sweeter corn base. Balanced and approachable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OESO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Rich fruit on a corn-forward base. Found in the core bourbon and Small Batch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OESQ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The same floral yeast with less rye. Sweeter and more candied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      OESF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Herbal character softened by corn sweetness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      The system is expanding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Four Roses has added two further mash bills to the operation, one at 52% corn and 43% rye and one at 85% corn and 10% rye. Neither has reached maturity, so the ten-recipe framework remains the one that governs everything on shelves today, including this barrel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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      What eleven years does to OBSQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Master Distiller Brent Elliott has described the Q strain as the most unusual of the five, carrying lavender, honeysuckle and rose petal aromatics that appear in the distillate before aging begins. Four Roses characterizes the B and Q pairing as robust, spicy and floral<\/strong> at any age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Age changes the balance rather than erasing it. Barrel-strength OBSQ selections at this maturity are frequently reported to layer darker fruit and pepper over the floral core, with the rye structure holding everything upright. Eleven years in a single-story Four Roses rickhouse also means measurable oak influence, which tends to pull the profile away from the lighter, berry-driven character younger OBSQ barrels are known for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      At 115.2 proof, the bottle sits in a comfortable range for evaluating all of that neat. A few drops of water will open the aromatics without flattening the rye.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      \n\"CrossRoads\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
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      Where to find it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      CrossRoads Wine & Spirits<\/strong>
      2223 N. Reynolds Road
      Bryant, Arkansas
      (501) 481-8134<\/p>\n\n\n\n