High Noon Owner to Purchase Four Roses Bourbon for Up to $775 Million

(Photo: Four Roses)

Kirin Holdings Co. plans to sell its Four Roses bourbon brand to E&J Gallo Winery for up to $775 million, marking a major ownership change for one of Kentucky’s best-known bourbon distilleries, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The Japanese beverage group said the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Kirin confirmed the sale in a statement Friday, noting it intends to redirect resources toward faster-growing parts of its business, per Bloomberg. The company said it has not yet decided how it will use the proceeds.

The sale comes as U.S. whiskey makers face slowed growth. Bourbon sales have cooled as consumers reduce alcohol spending and drink less overall. Trade uncertainty, including the potential impact of tariffs under President Donald Trump, has added pressure across the spirits sector.

Four Roses is produced in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Kirin acquired the distillery in 2002. Once the deal closes, E&J Gallo Winery, one of the largest wine and spirits companies in the U.S., will take control of the bourbon label.

Gallo owns many wine brands including Apothic and Barefoot; spirits brands brands including The Dalmore, Jura, New Amsterdam, RumChata, Don Fulano; and the popular ready-to-drink brand High Noon.

The sale sale reflects a broader shift in strategy for Kirin, which has said it wants its health-related businesses to account for 20% of total sales by 2030. In recent years, it has expanded aggressively in that space, including the purchase of Japanese cosmetics and supplement company FANCL in 2024 and Australian vitamin maker Blackmores Ltd. in 2023 for $1.2 billion.

Other global spirits companies are also scaling back. Rival Suntory Holdings Ltd. said in December that it plans to suspend production this year at the James B. Beam distillery in Kentucky after reviewing output levels against current demand. Elsewhere, we’ve seen pauses in production from Glenglassaugh Distillery, as well as a pair of American distilleries owned by spirits giant Diageo: George Dickel and Balcones. Diageo also halted the construction of a new Crown Royal distillery in November 2024.

Investors responded positively to Kirin’s announcement. Shares of the company rose 1.5% in early trading in Tokyo on Friday.