Four Roses is one of Kentucky's most beloved Bourbon makers, and it's popularity is so well ingrained and widely accepted that we almost collectively forget that up until 2002, the brand was pretty much defunct in the US.

Now how did that happen to one of Kentucky's treasures?

The Fable Of The Four Roses, And Where That Name Came From

Going back to the beginning - if there even is one! Well, the truth is no one really knows who started Four Roses. The generally accepted story goes that it was a man named Paul Jones Jr. had founded the brand in 1888 (although some claim that the brand was being traded much earlier than that). The more romantic version of it tells us that Paul Jones Jr. had pursued a lady and had sent her a heartfelt proposal. However, wanting to keep the suspense, the lady had told Paul that should she accept his proposal, she'd wear a corsage of four roses to the ball to see him. As fate would have it, the lady had donned the corsage of four roses and hence the brand would take its name from the eventful night.

The Spanish Mission-style Four Roses Distillery.

Iconically, the distillery producing Four Roses' Bourbon is housed in a Spanish Mission-style building that is often said to be one of the most stylistic of distilleries. It was given the name of the Old Prentice Distillery, and was built in 1910, and has since gone on to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And if you're following the timelines here - you'd be right in spotting that the Four Roses brand had preceded the establishment of the distillery that produces it, as the brand had previously purchased whiskies from other producers and sold it under the Four Roses brand, that was until it had its own distillery.

How Did America's Favourite Bourbon Get Pulled From The Country... And Eventually Re-Instated

The next formative era of Four Roses would come under the ownership of a J.T.S. Brown - who if you happen to know Bourbon lore, would quickly recognise as the brother of Gavin Brown, the man who had learnt about the Bourbon business from his brother, and would later start Old Forester, and together they would establish what would become Brown-Forman! It was under Brown (or the Brown's) that Four Roses (and Old Forester) would make the cut of being given special permission to continue to sell their whiskies all throughout Prohibition, which gave them a spectacular lead in the Bourbon market. They did this by branding their Bourbons as being of medicinal quality and did much to assure authorities of the quality of their whiskies at a time when the industry was plagued by harmful counterfeits.

Nevertheless, by the 1940's, Four Roses would be acquired by Seagram, which was massive at the time. With Four Roses being amongst the best selling Bourbons across America, Seagram had feared that the Bourbon who disallow its Canadian whiskey blends from taking share in the American market, and would thus make the incredibly frowned upon decision to discontinue Four Roses sale in the US. Instead, Four Roses would only sell entry level blends in the US, although it could continue to sell its Bourbons outside of the US.

It wasn't until the brand was acquired by Japanese beer giant Kirin, not to mention some prior ping-ponging of the brand between several other owners, the the brand was properly restored to the US. In the perfect series of moves, Kirin would not only discontinue cheap blends retailed by Four Roses in the US - it would even buy back all outstanding bottles of the blend and get rid of it - after which Four Roses was reintroduced in full force as its true Kentucky straight Bourbon whiskey form. Four Roses was quick to find its way back into the hearts of Bourbon lovers and Kirin could thus expand the distillery's capacity and reinvigorate its infrastructure. Four Roses would go on to bag massive awards such as American Whisky Distiller Of The year for three years running (2011 - 2013) as crowned by Whisky Magazine.

And while thus far we've only talked about the Four Roses lore, it's time for us to talk about WHY Four Roses is so beloved!

A Kentucky Bourbon Producer With 10 Cards Up Its Sleeves - Now Make That 20

Four Roses isn't just any other Kentucky Bourbon factory - it stands out by having a pretty diverse range of what has historically been 10 different Bourbon recipes that it's able to produce. And rather than play the mashbill game, where Bourbon producers do little tweaks to the proportions of the various grains going into the mashbill recipe (tinkering with how much corn, barley, rye, wheat, and so on), Four Roses is the only Kentucky producer that is able to produce numerous styles of Bourbon as a result of its in-house collection of proprietary yeasts - 5 of which to be specific, which when applied to 2 different mashbill recipes, creates 10 possible Bourbon combinations! In 2024, the distillery announced that it would include two more mashbills (a High Rye and a High Corn mashbill), that would bring the total number of Bourbon recipes Four Roses produces to a whopping 20 (4 Mashbills x 5 Yeast Strains)!

So why did Four Roses do all of that? This goes back to the Seagram days when the Canadian conglomerate would use Four Roses to produce a blend that included whiskies distilled at other distilleries. And thus when Kirin had taken over the brand, it had the foresight to regain control over how Four Roses produces its whiskies and thus the various yeasts used in the external distilleries were collected and brought in-house. 

And it is precisely because of the sheer number of possible combinations that has gotten Bourbon fans so hooked on Four Roses as there's so much variety to be had from just one producer!

Everything Else You Need To Know About Four Roses

On top of that Four Roses also uniquely employs the use of a single story warehouse. Unlike many other Bourbon producers who keep a top floor, a mid floor and a lower floor to weave in an aspect of various climate conditions factoring into the final profile of the Bourbon, Four Roses keeps this part simple so as to maintain consistency - which also means that Four Roses has an incredibly sizeable footprint for its storage warehouses! Yet, as tribute to its Japanese owners who tend to prize harmony of whisky over things like age statements, you'll tend to find less in the way of a Four Roses with an age statement, and instead find more limited editions and small batches that come as a blend of the various Four Roses styles of Bourbon which come together to achieve a new combined flavour profile.

And so with all that said, it's time to finally try some Four Roses!

Paying tribute to all that is Four Roses, we've got with us a Four Roses Single Barrel that's 100 Proof (50% ABV), aged between 7-9 years, and as with all Single Barrels from the distillery, it's always going to be the OBSV recipe which is characterised as "delicate fruit and rye" by Four Roses. 

Let's give it a go!

Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: Deep, deep mustiness of lacquered wood, it almost feels like stepping into an antique store. There's an accompany mintiness that's rather gentle and delicate but fresh, along with some oranges that outline the nose. That citrus note continues to develop, showcasing some dried tropical fruits of pineapples and orange peels. More on leather, with the citrusy note ever present, with also some roses and rose-flavoured Turkish delight, as well as incense - it's almost beginning to feel like the essential oils of a spa resort. Some unbelievably fragrant wood notes begin to show, almost like a bowl of wood potpourri, woody essential oils, lacquered acacia woods amongst other exotic woods. Incredibly aromatic to say the least!

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it starts off rather spicy, before kicking into high gear with the perfumed florals once again - roses, rose jellies, and also mint, mint jellies and mint jujubes. Also with some sugared apricots and pineapples. Incredibly perfumed, moderate richness, with just a gentle sweetness and spiciness.

Finish: The brown sugar and caramel sweetness and florals carries all the way through into the finish. Here it's joined by some oak spice and sweet citrusy notes again. A long finish with a deep warmth.

My Thoughts

What's always stood out for me about Four Roses - and is completely exemplified here - is that delicate mintiness and perfumed rose like quality that paints the entire flavour profile of Four Roses.

It isn't like anything you'd find in any other Bourbon out there and that's because it comes down to exactly Four Roses' secret sauce being its proprietary set of five yeast strains that can't be found anywhere else. Now you can tweak mashbills all you want but ultimately it largely revolves around the same usual suspects (corn, barley, rye, wheat) which is what gives the broader class of Bourbons that characteristic Bourbon-esque quality of brown sugars, baking spice, baked pastries, and ranging all the way to cherry pies and peanuts. It's only with a totally unique set of yeasts that new flavours can be produced - and that's exactly why folks love Four Roses!

This was so incredibly perfumed and fragrant with florals, herbs and exotic woods, with just a slight sweetness, and just the right amount of richness to smoothly deliver all of that across the nose and palate. It's an incredibly distinctive signature style that you've got to try to believe it!