DGC Compass Suite · Volume II

The Four Roses
Compass

Two mashbills. Five yeast strains. Ten recipes. Most likely identified.

Remember: Every Four Roses pour contains a blend of characteristics — the question is which note is most forward, and which notes are notably absent. These are likelihoods, not declarations. The fun is in the reasoning and the practice.

Use this after the main Tasting Compass identifies Four Roses as the likely distillate.  ← Back to Tasting Compass

Interactive Tool · Two Questions

What's Most
Forward?

The Four Roses Compass works in two steps — mashbill first, yeast character second. For the yeast question, always ask: what is most forward right now, and what is notably absent? Use both to narrow.

Mashbill
Texture
Character
Recipe
01
How does the nose hit you?
The mashbill split is usually instant. Four Roses is not known for strong aroma — so a robust nose almost always means B. Confirm with oak check below.
B
Big & Robust
Strong nose that hits you immediately. High spice — noticeably hotter and more aggressive. Full body. Higher rye content (60% corn, 35% rye).
Robust nose + no significant oak on finish = B confirmed
E
Muted & Refined
Quieter nose — restrained and subtle. Gentler spice, lighter body. Lower rye content (75% corn, 20% rye). More elegant throughout.
Muted nose = E regardless of age. Robust nose with oak on finish may also be aged E.

Quick oak check: You noted a robust nose. Is there significant oak on the palate or finish?

No significant oak → B confirmed
Oak present → may be aged E, reconsider
02
Is the texture notably oily?
Check this before anything else. Whenever oiliness is highly present and striking, it is almost certainly V — regardless of what flavor notes accompany it. Texture overrides flavor.
How would you describe the viscosity?
Notably Oily Unmistakable. Unlike any other recipe. This is the first thing you notice.
Medium Standard Four Roses texture — not particularly heavy or thin
Light / Thin Clean and bright — rules out V

Note: Very oily texture = V yeast, go directly to result. Medium or light = continue to character question.

03
What is most forward right now?
Not what is present — what LEADS. Something may have fruit and floral, but if fruit clearly dominates, that's O. Use the absence markers to confirm. Toggle what's notably absent to help narrow.

Four Roses is not known for peanut or heavy oak. If you notice either, it may signal a higher-aged expression or an unusual bottle. Sweet notes can be confused with floral or fruit — but sweet is distinct: more confectionery, candy-like, not specifically fruity or floral.

K
Balanced Throughout
Nothing dominates. Everything is present at medium level and in harmony. Full body. You've ruled out oily (not V), ruled out obvious fruit lead, ruled out obvious floral, ruled out forest floor.
Use when nothing clearly stands out above the rest
O
Fruit Forward
Fruit is the headliner — obvious and immediate. Rich mid-palate. Fruit must be meaningfully present, not just a trace. Very little fruit rules O out first.
Low or absent fruit → rule out O before selecting
Q
Floral Forward
Floral leads — perfume-like, aromatic. Light spice underneath. Floral must be present at meaningful levels, not just a suggestion. Low floral rules Q out first.
Low or absent floral → rule out Q before selecting
F
Earthy / Forest Floor
Earth leads — forest floor and moss specifically. Not just herbal. The F yeast pushes earth definitively over herbal character. The most contemplative recipe.
Not just herbal — must be definitively earthy / forest floor
Two notes competing equally? Check the finish — what persists longest often breaks the tie. Floral tends to fade faster. Earth tends to linger. When genuinely tied, select the one most forward on the nose rather than the palate.

Toggle what is notably absent — helps confirm your selection:

Very little fruit
Very little floral
No forest floor / earth
Nothing clearly leads
Peanut present (unusual)
Heavy oak (aged expression)
Your Four Roses Recipe — Most Likely
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—
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These are likelihoods, not declarations. Taste it again — the B vs E split is usually confirmed on the second nose. Making mistakes and retasting is how the pattern becomes intuitive.

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The Framework · Five Yeast Strains

The Five
Yeast Characters

Each yeast strain produces a distinct character. The B mashbill amplifies whichever character is present — making it hit harder and read more easily. On an E pour, everything is more restrained and the nuance is subtler.

V
Oily Texture
Unmistakably oily viscosity. Texture overrides everything — even when fruit or floral is present, if it's this oily, it's V.
Texture is the tell, not flavor
K
Balanced
Nothing dominates. Full body with every flavor element in proportion. Selected by elimination — nothing else clearly leads.
Use when all else is ruled out
O
Fruit Forward
Fruit is obvious and immediate. Rich mid-palate. Fruit must be meaningfully present — very little fruit rules O out.
Low fruit → rule out first
Q
Floral Forward
Floral / perfume-like leads. Light spice underneath. Floral must be at meaningful levels — low floral rules Q out.
Low floral → rule out first
F
Forest Floor
Earth leads — moss and forest floor specifically. Not just herbal. Earth must dominate definitively. The most contemplative recipe.
Must be earthy, not just herbal
Quick Reference · All 10 Recipes

The Complete
Recipe Matrix

Every combination of two mashbills and five yeast strains. Click any cell to jump directly to that recipe result.

Mashbill
V — Oily
K — Balanced
O — Fruit
Q — Floral
F — Earth
B
OBSVBig + oily
OBSKBig + balanced
OBSOBig + fruit
OBSQBig + floral
OBSFBig + forest floor
E
OESVMuted + oily
OESKMuted + balanced
OESOMuted + fruit
OESQMuted + floral
OESFMuted + forest floor