Four Roses Releases Its Oldest Bourbon Yet to Inaugurate ‘Ultra-Premium’ Anthology Line
Four Roses Distillery will launch its oldest bourbon to date to inaugurate its new “ultra-premium” Anthology line this summer, the brand announced today. Anthology will be a series of annual, limited releases intended to honor the distillery’s nearly 140-year history. The series debuts with a 21-year-old, 124.9-proof bourbon named Chapter One: Origin, which will hit markets on July 10 at a suggested retail price of $500.
This announcement comes at a time when many other distilleries are also doing the same. The release follows the OBSF recipe, denoting a high-rye mashbill and a particular yeast strain that yields herbal, minty notes. Brand tasting notes highlight ripe cherry, cacao, and honey with an elongated finish of mature oak and rich fruit.
The unveiling of the Anthology line and Chapter One: Origin marks Four Roses’ first new release since E&J Gallo Winery acquired the brand earlier this year. The acquisition caused fans to wonder if the beloved brand would start to lean into gimmicky releases and over-the-top finishes to expand its audience to bourbon newbies, but the distillery says it designed the 21-year-old whiskey for collectors and enthusiasts in its release.
Chapter One: Origin takes inspiration from the legend of how founder Paul Jones, Jr., christened his distillery with the Four Roses name. As the brand tells it, Jones asked a woman to marry him in 1888, and she later accepted his proposal by wearing a corsage decorated with four roses. Many accounts have labeled that story as a tale — Jones never married — but the new release still aims to honor the distillery’s storied past.
“Chapter One: Origin pays tribute to the moment that inspired our name and the values of connection and passion that continue to define our brand today,” master distiller Brent Elliott says in the release.
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