🥃 Four Roses
A Kentucky bourbon brand from Lawrenceburg; two mash bills and five yeast strains give ten recipes; the name dates from 1888; owned by Kirin since 2002.
Four Roses is a Kentucky bourbon brand made at a distillery in Lawrenceburg. Its defining feature is ten recipes: two mash bills, each with five yeast strains. The trademark is linked to 1888, and since 2002 production has been owned by the Japanese company Kirin.
History. The brand was founded by Paul Jones Jr., who moved the business to Louisville. According to legend, the name comes from four roses that his fiancee promised to pin on her dress if she said yes. During Prohibition the company bought Frankfort Distilling and sold bourbon under a medicinal licence. In 1943 Seagram bought the brand and later withdrew the bourbon from the US market, keeping it for Europe and Asia; it returned after Kirin's purchase in early 2002. The 1910 distillery building in the Mission style was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
How it is made. According to the official description, mash bill B contains 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley, while mash bill E is 75%, 20% and 5%. The letters V, K, O, Q and F mark the five yeast strains. The result is ten different bourbons, which are then blended. Maturation takes place in single-story rack warehouses, where the temperature difference between top and bottom is about 8 °F.
The range. The standard Four Roses Bourbon, Small Batch, Small Batch Select and Single Barrel; the last usually uses one recipe, while Small Batch blends four and Small Batch Select blends six.
Why this matters to you. Bourbon is whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak barrels, bottled at no less than 40% ABV. The standard version is 40%, Small Batch is 45%, Single Barrel is 50%. WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | trademark from 1888 (Paul Jones); distillery building, 1910; Kirin since 2002 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.143 (USA), the bourbon standard; Reg. (EU) 2019/787 for exports |
| EU category | 2 - whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | corn, rye, malted barley (60/35/5 or 75/20/5); water from the Salt River |
| Distillation method | ten recipes: two mash bills x five yeast strains |
| Cask type | new charred oak barrels; single-story warehouses |
| Minimum maturation | standard version at least 5 years according to the producer |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% (standard), 45% (Small Batch), 50% (Single Barrel OBSV), 52% (Small Batch Select) |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Four Roses → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What is packed
- 🥃 Dos Hombres Reposado
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Straight bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's, 🥃 Maker's Mark, 🥃 Maker's Mark, 🥃 Woodford Reserve, 🥃 Woodford Reserve, 🥃 Kentucky Bourbon
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Four Roses uses a single recipe?
No. There are ten recipes: two mash bills and five yeast strains. They are blended in different proportions depending on the version.
What do the letters in OBSV or OESK mean?
The first letter O is the distillery; the second is the mash bill (B or E); S is straight (straight bourbon); the last is the yeast strain (V, K, O, Q or F).
Who owns Four Roses?
The Japanese company Kirin, which bought the brand and the distillery between late 2001 and early 2002.
How long is the standard version aged?
According to the official description, at least 5 years; Small Batch 6-7 years, Single Barrel 7-9.
Where is Four Roses made and stored?
It is made in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; warehousing and bottling take place at Cox's Creek.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's — Tennessee whiskey from Lynchburg (USA): before aging, the spirit is filtered through a three-metre layer of sugar maple charcoal.
Similar
🥃 Woodford Reserve · 🥃 Evan Williams · 🥃 Bulleit · 🥃 Old Crow · 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve · 🥃 Jim Beam
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Four Roses Bourbon: Our Process (two mash bills B and E, five yeast strains, ten recipes, single-story rack warehouses, range 40-52 % ABV)
- Four Roses Bourbon: History (1888 name, 1922 purchase of Frankfort Distilling, Seagram, Kirin 2002, master distillers)
- Difford's Guide: Four Roses Distillery, history (Old Prentice 1910, National Register 1987, Seagram 1943, Kirin 2001)
- 27 CFR § 5.143 (US): whisky standards of identity: bourbon (min. 51 % corn, new charred oak, distilled at max. 160 proof, barrel entry max. 125 proof, bottled min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)