New Four Roses bourbon is distillery’s oldest release ever. Why it’s special
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Four Roses is launching Anthology with a 21-year-old bourbon.
- Chapter One: Origin uses the distillery’s OBSF recipe and is bottled at 124.9 proof.
- Around 1,200 bottles will be available at the Visitor Center July 10 for $500.
Four Roses Distillery is launching a new series, Anthology, with its oldest bourbon yet, a 21-year-old whiskey.
The distillery, which was recently purchased by Gallo for $775 million, said that Anthology will be a new ultra-premium annual series of rare and highly limited releases.
The first, Chapter One: Origin, is a rare 21-year-old bourbon crafted from the distillery’s OBSF recipe, known for its herbal notes and rich fruit character. It’s the oldest release in Four Roses’ 138-year history, bottled at 124.9 proof.
On the nose, it’s apricot, mingled with vanilla and spiced mint, according to the tasting notes. On the palate, it has creamy oak tones, deep flavors of ripe cherry, cacao and rich honey, with a finish of antique oak and lingering fruit.
The launch kicks off “one of the distillery’s most innovative years to date,” according to the news release, hinting at more to come, and coincides with the brand’s new campaign, Meet Me with Four Roses.
According to company lore, Jones named his company Four Roses after a love story: Company founder Paul Jones Jr. proposed to a Southern belle, and she signaled her acceptance by wearing a corsage of four red roses to a ball.
Chapter One: Origin will be available exclusively at the Four Roses Visitor Center beginning July 10 for a suggested retail price of $500. Only around 1,200 bottles will be released.
Four Roses will host an immersive pop-up experience on July 11 at the brand’s original headquarters on Louisville’s Whiskey Row at what is now 118 E. Main Street.
The building (previously known as 136 E. Main St.) was home to the Paul Jones Company and Four Roses Bourbon from 1884 to 1922. A Four Roses mural was added to the building in 2017.
