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Four Roses Rye


StraightNoChaser
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I just casually came across a miniature of Four Roses Rye from the 1930s on eBay. It sold for only $20! I would have easily paid $50.

This is definitely one thing I would love to see resurrected one day. Being that 4R is my favorite brand (IMO makes the best whiskey available today) and rye is... well rye is amazing! So it only makes sense that putting two of my favorite things together would result in a fantastic product.

Has anyone ever tried FRR?

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There's another thread where this is discussed, but I've had too much whiskey today to find it. It basically says that Rutledge is too old to start such a project.

To me, that sounds like a cop-out. I mean, who's his assistant? Rye looks to be a major category for years to come. The time to start filling barrels is now.

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Rutledge never said he was too old to start the project. He said that if he did start the project he would be retired before it was ready to be bottled. He also stated that all their warehouse space right now is being used to work on getting FR national. That is their goal right now after that is accomplished then maybe they might look at making a rye.

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Man, sounds like I'll be waiting at least a decade for this, if it ever happens :skep:

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Mr Rutledge told me that he has been lobbying Kirin to do a rye whiskey.

He said that they could use their spicey yeast and only the minimum amount of rye to make a great one.

I wish he would use the OBSK recipe and kick up the rye from 35% to 60%.

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Mr Rutledge told me that he has been lobbying Kirin to do a rye whiskey.

He said that they could use their spicey yeast and only the minimum amount of rye to make a great one.

I wish he would use the OBSK recipe and kick up the rye from 35% to 60%.

I'm surprised that ownership isn't up for it. They've been doing everything else right since they took over.

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I'm surprised that ownership isn't up for it. They've been doing everything else right since they took over.
[QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Kirin is very conservative. They originally didn't want to do barrel strength releases either.

Rutledge has also been asking them to raise the proof on the yellow label to 90.

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Mr Rutledge told me that he has been lobbying Kirin to do a rye whiskey.

He said that they could use their spicey yeast and only the minimum amount of rye to make a great one.

I wish he would use the OBSK recipe and kick up the rye from 35% to 60%.

yes :bowdown: let's hope Kirin listens to him

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Keep in mind that rye, while growing fast from a tiny base, is still a very small segment of the business.

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Keep in mind that rye, while growing fast from a tiny base, is still a very small segment of the business.
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People seem to love pointing this out, and while it may be true, do you see it going backwards anytime soon? I do not.

Producers: Expand your Rye production!!!

Not backwards, necessarily, but the point of the 'small base' observation is that we could quickly go from too little rye to too much, which might seem like a win for consumers in the short run (lower prices) but could result in the industry declaring the rye revival a bust.

Most of the rye revival is still tied to the cocktails movement, which is if nothing else omnivorous, which means it doesn't generate a lot of volume. Right now rye is small but growing and profitable. A good way to fuck that up would be to overproduce, not withstanding White Dog's commitment to drink all they can make.

It wouldn't surprise me if Four Roses has some experiments in the works and has maybe laid down a batch or two of rye, on a test not commercial scale.

Although Four Roses should be very profitable, since such a high percentage of their output is sold as premium products, the distillery itself is still inhibited by its contractual obligations to Diageo. We have no way of knowing how much of their production that is, but it's clearly a meaningful percentage, and contract production is always low margin.

Also, much like Maker's Mark, when you can sell every drop you make, year in and year out, and are operating at or near capacity, as I assume Four Roses is, then you have very little incentive to try something else. Look at MM. When they finally did try something else it was a finish, not a new whiskey that would take distillery resources.

It certainly seems reasonable to suppose that the natural next step for Four Roses would be a straight rye. They've taken bourbon about as far as it can go.

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It certainly seems reasonable to suppose that the natural next step for Four Roses would be a straight rye. They've taken bourbon about as far as it can go.

Chuck,

I certainly hope that Kirin will take that next step because I think Rutledge would make a really fantastic Four Roses Rye!!

Ray in Atlanta

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Chuck,

I certainly hope that Kirin will take that next step because I think Rutledge would make a really fantastic Four Roses Rye!!

Ray in Atlanta

Agreed only not limited to Rutledge. Four Roses has a very deep bench.

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Four Roses may certainly have laid down some rye, but according to Jim they haven't even touched going there. He doesn't have the go ahead yet. They want to be in all 50 states and expand their core lines first before they take that on. I think they'd make a hell of a rye. Then imagine if you make a number of different recipes (with the yeast strains) with the rye. Tremendous options.

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