Maker: Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, USA (Kirin)
Age: 11 y/o
Recipe: OESQ
Warehouse/Barrel: 55/43-3Q
Proof: 116.2 (58.1% ABV)
Appearance: Light auburn with thin, elegant legs
Nose: Rich. Crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, mint, alcohol, clove, orange blossom, mace, oak.
On the palate: Full bodied and sweet. Chocolate orange, vanilla. With water it turns silky. Key lime pie, roasted candy almonds, cocoa almonds.
Finish: Long, sweet and sensuous. Oak, char, circus peanuts, mango.
Parting words: This is sex in a glass, but without the stickiness (ideally). Unlike its (arguably better) predecessors, the 40th and 120th anniversary single barrels, it has a sensual quality unusual in a bourbon. Or to put it another way, this bourbon is the dessert you box up and take back to your hotel room after Valentine’s day dinner at the steak house, and eat right before you fall asleep and right after you, well, you know.
The Four Roses annual releases stay on the shelves for a shockingly long time after they are released compared other high-end annual releases, so there are quite possibly some still out there, but your best bet for trying one is to find a generous friend with a bottle or two squirreled away. Four Roses Limited Edition Single Barrel 2009 is highly recommended.
Sipology 
I would add that when you include a touch of water, this becomes a buttery, rich and decadent Bourbon, which can be a bit antithetical to the Four Roses house style. And I mean that in a good way on all points.
Great review. I love this one.
[…] Parting words: Red Wagon is one of the Detroit Metro Area’s best wine and liquor stores. They have two locations, one in Troy (barely) and one in Rochester Hills. The Rochester Hills location is larger but the Troy one is closer and has a well curated selection of wine, spirits, and beer. They’ve been selecting bourbon barrels for a few years now and doing it well for the most part. They had two Four Roses barrels when I purchased this one. I picked the OESQ because of my fond memories of the super-sexy 2009 Four Roses limited edition single barrel (reviewed here). […]