Four Roses Bourbon - new equipment

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 40% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Four Roses Bourbon is made from a selection of up to ten recipes. The distillery combines two grain mash bills with five proprietary yeast strains, then blends the matured whiskeys. One mash bill contains 60% corn and 35% rye; the other contains 75% corn and 20% rye. Malted barley accounts for the remaining 5% in each. The desired flavour profile determines which recipes, and how many of them, go into a bottling.

The bourbon matures for at least five years in new charred American oak barrels and is bottled at 40% ABV. Introduced in 2018, the bottle design replaced the former yellow label with a beige one. A cork closure and roses embossed in the glass are also part of the design. The redesign did not change the whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Floral aromas and honey mingle with gentle spice on the nose. Light notes of apricot, peach and lavender follow.
• Palate: Fresh apple and pear emerge on the palate. Apricot and peach meet floral notes, mild spice and a touch of oak caramel.
• Finish: In the gentle, long finish, fruit and floral notes gradually recede; a little brown sugar and softening spice linger.

Distillery/Bottler:

The Four Roses brand dates back to the 19th century; Paul Jones Jr. registered its name in 1888. Today, Four Roses distils in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Its whiskey matures in barrels stored at Cox’s Creek, where it is also bottled. Brent Elliott has been Master Distiller since 2015.

The differences among the ten recipes begin with the choice of grain mash bill and yeast strain. After at least three days of fermentation, Four Roses distils first in a column still and then in a doubler. The distillery uses single-storey warehouses for maturation, where temperature differences between barrel positions are smaller than in multi-storey buildings. It can then select matured barrels for its different bottlings and blend the whiskey from them.

Facts: