Four Roses Bourbon is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It is a blend of the distillery’s ten bourbon recipes, aged in new charred American oak and bottled at 40% ABV. Until a packaging update, it was known as Four Roses Yellow Label.

Ten Recipes

Four Roses is the only bourbon distillery that combines two mash bills with five proprietary yeast strains to make ten distinct bourbons.

The two mash bills are:

• OBSB: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley (high rye)
• OBSK: 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley (low rye)

The five yeast strains are V, K, O, Q and F. Each brings its own character, from delicate fruit to spice to floral notes. Each recipe is aged separately and then married, so this bottling draws on the full range of the distillery’s character in one glass. The single-barrel and small-batch Four Roses releases use only one or a few of the ten.

Four Roses Bourbon Tasting Notes

• Nose: Fresh pear and apple, with floral notes and a touch of caramel.
• Palate: Ripe fruit and honey, with soft spice and vanilla.
• Finish: Smooth and mellow, with gentle warmth.

The Four Roses Distillery

The Four Roses name dates to 1888. Brand legend says founder Paul Jones Jr. took it from a corsage of four red roses worn by the woman who accepted his proposal. The distillery was built in 1910 in the Spanish Mission style. Its bourbon is aged in single-storey rack warehouses, which keep temperatures even and let every barrel age at much the same pace.

For several decades in the twentieth century, Four Roses straight bourbon was sold mainly outside the United States, which is why the name became so well known in Australia and Japan. Kirin, the Japanese brewer, bought the brand in 2002 and has made only straight bourbon under the name since.

Who It Suits

Four Roses Bourbon suits anyone who wants a light, fruit-forward bourbon for everyday drinking. It works neat, over ice, or in a highball, an Old Fashioned or a whisky sour.