Four Roses

One of the oldest Bourbon brands around, Four Roses dates back to a trademarking in 1888, although it is said a whiskey of that name was sold from before the 1860s. Legend has it that it is named after a founder, Rufus Mathewson Rose, his brother Origen, and their two sons. However other sources have a Paul Jones Jr as the founder.

Regardless, a distillery was built in 1910 in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky to produce Four Roses, although it was originally named the Old Prentice Distillery - a stunning building in Spanish Mission-style architecture, the distillery is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Purchased by drinks giant Seagram in 1943, for nearly 40 years Four Roses wasn't actually available as a straight Bourbon - instead being a brand name for blended whiskies - until it was eventually 'relaunched' in 1994. Eventually bought by the Japanese Kirin Brewery in 2002, Four Roses was refocussed into a Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Whereas the Original (previously known as Yellow Label) was a combination of 2 mashbills coupled with 5 different yeast strains to create 10 different 'recipes', the Small Batch releases use just 4 of those combinations across a batch of around 750 barrels, with an age of no younger that 6 years but not much at 8 year old.

Whereas the Original is light and easy drinking (almost TOO easy for some), here's where we start to see more backbone, rigidity and what feels like the true character of the distillery. There's a lovely soft spice to start, before warming oak and runny caramel join the dance. The finish is lengthy, as the spice returns a little drier but not too overpowering. It's a great sipper and will also make an ideal base for an Old Fashioned as that spicy element will come to the fore. It looks the part, too!