Four Roses Unveils 21-Year Single Barrel Bourbon, Its Oldest Release to Date

(Photo: Four Roses)

On Tuesday, Four Roses unveiled its first self-professed “ultra-premium” whiskey, a 21-year-old single barrel bourbon slated to hit the market later this month at a suggested retail price of $500. It’s been described as the inaugural release in a new Anthology collection, an annual series paying homage to touchstones in the brand’s 138-year history.

The bourbon, subtitled “Chapter One: Origin,” takes drinkers all the way back to 1888. So the story goes, founder Paul Jones Jr. professed his love to a Southern Belle, who would later accept his proposal at a grand ball wearing a corsage of four red roses (that origin has been debated at length over the decades, though the proposal-turned-bourbon-inspiration remains the most popular telling of events).

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the whiskey itself. The single barrel was distilled using the brand’s OBSF recipe, which consists of 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley, fermented with a proprietary yeast strain that often yields a distinctly minty, cocoa-forward note, according to Four Roses. The 124.9-proof bourbon will be available exclusively at the Four Roses Visitor Center beginning July 10 and at a Whiskey Row pop-up on July 11.

According to the brand, fans can expect aromas of deep apricot, vanilla and spiced mint, followed by flavors of creamy oak, ripe cherry, cocoa and honey. On the finish, hints of antique oak and lingering rich fruit.

“This release represents more than age; it represents legacy,” Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott said in a news release. “With Anthology, we wanted to create a series that allows us to tell the deeper stories behind Four Roses through rare and intentional releases. Chapter One: Origin pays tribute to the moment that inspired our name and the values of connection and passion that continue to define our brand today.”

Chapter One is not only the oldest Four Roses bourbon release, but also the first page in a new era for the brand. Following months of speculation, it was announced in early April that the distiller had been acquired by E & J Gallo Winery, best known for popular vodka seltzer brand High Noon. The California-based juggernaut reportedly paid $775 million for Four Roses, taking over ownership from the Japan-based Kirin.

“Four Roses is one of the most respected bourbons in the world — defined by heritage and craftsmanship — and Kirin was instrumental in reestablishing the brand as a premium straight whiskey in the U.S.,” Gallo CCO Britt West said in a statement when the news broke.

“Gallo has more than five decades of expertise in spirits distillation, maturation, and brand building. We are committed to upholding Four Roses’ quality and building the brand as a cornerstone of our portfolio through increased consumer and trade engagement, innovation, and global expansion.”