Four roses cult following here

[kcgumbohead]

Really hoping something gets done to preserve/restore that building. Just a couple doors down from Gladys Knights chicken&waffles. Someone suggested that 4R could turn that into quite the satellite visitors center experience, or maybe I was just daydreaming, anyway I think that's a great idea.

Some evidence to suggest he was just a salesman for the Rose family who owned a local distillery and when he moved to Louisville (well before the prohibition started in Georgia I believe) he may have created the name Four Roses out of thin air.

The Rose family mansion is now on the National Register of Historic Places but is in downtown Atlanta kind of on the edgy of a seedy area and is unoccupied. It is slowly crumbling from neglect.

[bourboNcigars]

I think I started something good here with this thread, the term four roses cult has been appearing a lot since I did..lol I should print out shirts that say member of the four roses cult lol

[squire]

Wear it and you might get mugged by one of the Stagg Fanatics.

[Phil T]

Wear it and you might get mugged by one of the Stagg Fanatics.

You pretty much have to "know" someone to be a Stagg Fanatic, FR is readily available to the masses, big difference

[dmarkle]

I already have the T-shirt and hat!! LOL

Their bar mat is really nice too.

When I was inducted into the cult, I got a pair of Four Roses goat-skin leggings as well.

Four Roses is a brand that still has stigma. I brought it up with my father , saying it was one of my favorites, and he looked at me as if I had just flat out told him that I'm an alcoholic and sleep each night in the gutter.

Edited May 29, 2014 by dmarkle

[bourboNcigars]

Wear it and you might get mugged by one of the Stagg Fanatics.

Lmao, that's some funny crap

[CL]

I have never even tried any 4R product. I gravitate towards wheaters and low-rye or traditional mash bills and really dislike rye whiskey. Given the Four Roses mash bills, I've always hesitated shelling out the cash for bottles of SmB and SB to test what may be undrinkable to me. (And the YL at 80 proof isn't something I'd ever consider.) I'd like to do a side-by-side of the two just to sample, so hopefully I find myself at a well-stocked bar at some point.

dcbt, I tend to prefer wheaters, but I am very fond of FR, particularly their OE variations. OE is the low rye recipe. I find that single barrel private selections of OESK and OESQ are delicious. If you can find a bar with the 2012 SiB LE, it is an OESK.

Edited May 30, 2014 by CL

[P&MLiquorsEric]

You'd be better off asking, four roses historian and national brand ambassador, Al young, but you would get a healthy dose of folklore, legend and company rhetoric. I've got his book but haven't read it in years. May be time to revisit.

Al led our group through our barrel selection las week. He is a character.

[flahute]

Wear it and you might get mugged by one of the Stagg Fanatics.

I'm one of those too........I'm bourbon bipolar.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Wear it and you might get mugged by one of the Stagg Fanatics.

First one with a window sticker of Calvin peeing on their rival wins.

[dcbt]

dcbt, I tend to prefer wheaters, but I am very fond of FR, particularly their OE variations. OE is the low rye recipe. I find that single barrel private selections of OESK and OESQ are delicious. If you can find a bar with the 2012 SiB LE, it is an OESK.

It's all relative; Four Roses' "low rye recipe" is still quite a bit higher in rye than Buffalo Trace's "high rye recipe". But thanks for the tip; if I ever find myself in front of an EK or EQ bottle I'll have a dram. (Sidenote: I am annoyed with 4R's recipe nomenclature - why have four letters when only two are used?...)

[squire]

For me rye content in the mash bill is more a guideline than an absolute. How they cook, mash and distill it makes a considerable difference in the end product.

[CL]

(Sidenote: I am annoyed with 4R's recipe nomenclature - why have four letters when only two are used?...)

I had read that it is a leftover from Seagram's ownership where they did need to designate the distillery (O = Old Prentice aka Lawrenceburg, KY) and the type of whiskey (S = straight whiskey; no blended).

[squire]

I believe that's correct.

[suntour]

I think one thing to learn from Four Roses success with bourbon geeks has to to with transparency, availability, and the fact that you are often chasing down different whiskies instead of the same whisky dressed up differently at different ages and proofs.

Have to agree with whoever posted recently that its about all I want to reach for anymore.

[smokinjoe]

I think one thing to learn from Four Roses success with bourbon geeks has to to with transparency, availability, and the fact that you are often chasing down different whiskies instead of the same whisky dressed up differently at different ages and proofs.

Have to agree with whoever posted recently that its about all I want to reach for anymore.

Sun, I agree with everything you say. And, I am a huge fan of 4R whiskey, the way they run their company, and particularly the people there who make it all happen. But, the single biggest challenge facing 4R is the one that that they haven't had to deal with yet (and the one which causes us enthusiasts such consternation with the other legacy distilleries)...That is, when consumer demand goes past their ability to meet it. That day of reckoning is coming soon for 4R. Even they will admit, if not for the economic problems in parts of Europe, specifically Spain and Greece, which stymied sales there and freed up capacity, they would be behind the 8-ball today. It will be interesting to see how they handle that. I hope it goes well, and if it doesn't, let us all cut them some slack by remembering these Halcyon days.

[nivto]

Like some others here the vast majority of the time that I reach for a bourbon it's some sort of Four Roses and it's been that way for a while now. It was the bourbon to really get me into bourbon and it still proves to be my favorite today. They do things right over there.

[OscarV]

Sun, I agree with everything you say. And, I am a huge fan of 4R whiskey, the way they run their company, and particularly the people there who make it all happen. But, the single biggest challenge facing 4R is the one that that they haven't had to deal with yet (and the one which causes us enthusiasts such consternation with the other legacy distilleries)...That is, when consumer demand goes past their ability to meet it. That day of reckoning is coming soon for 4R. Even they will admit, if not for the economic problems in parts of Europe, specifically Spain and Greece, which stymied sales there and freed up capacity, they would be behind the 8-ball today. It will be interesting to see how they handle that. I hope it goes well, and if it doesn't, let us all cut them some slack by remembering these Halcyon days.

A couple of years ago I heard Mr Rutledge say (I'm paraphrasing) that their rickhouses are full and the more bourbon that 4R needs then the less they will make available to Diageo for Bulleit.

[dcbt]

It's all relative; Four Roses' "low rye recipe" is still quite a bit higher in rye than Buffalo Trace's "high rye recipe". But thanks for the tip; if I ever find myself in front of an EK or EQ bottle I'll have a dram. (Sidenote: I am annoyed with 4R's recipe nomenclature - why have four letters when only two are used?...)

Replying to my own reply here. Did some quick research over on the 4R website and the EK recipe was the only low rye recipe not described as fruity or floral so that's most likely one for me if there is one. So now my question to you cultists, does an EK bottle exist, or is that one of the LEs?

[OscarV]

Replying to my own reply here. Did some quick research over on the 4R website and the EK recipe was the only low rye recipe not described as fruity or floral so that's most likely one for me if there is one. So now my question to you cultists, does an EK bottle exist, or is that one of the LEs?

The 2012 Single Barrel Limited Edition is OESK other than that maybe a retailer somewhere pick a private bottling.

[Restaurant man]

The 2012 Single Barrel Limited Edition is OESK other than that maybe a retailer somewhere pick a private bottling.

That was the 2013. OESK. Only other place to find it is a retailer pic unless you get lucky at the gift shop. K's are popular right now. Most of the retailer pics near me are k's right now

[bourboNcigars]

Instead of starting a new thread I will ask here, but this is the first time I heard of the limited edition yearly releases, what goes into them that makes them special and what's the going price for them?

[Restaurant man]

Instead of starting a new thread I will ask here, but this is the first time I heard of the limited edition yearly releases, what goes into them that makes them special and what's the going price for them?

Each year Four Roses releases two limited edition bourbons. In the fall they release a small batch limited which is a blend of 3-4 bourbons. The last two years it was my favorite of the year. In the spring they release a single barrel limited which is chosen by Jim Rutledge and is whatever bourbon he wants to pick. This year (about to hit shelves) its going to be an F yeast. You can visit their website to see the explanation of all their recipes and yeasts etc.

[flahute]

Replying to my own reply here. Did some quick research over on the 4R website and the EK recipe was the only low rye recipe not described as fruity or floral so that's most likely one for me if there is one. So now my question to you cultists, does an EK bottle exist, or is that one of the LEs?

I have a private bottling OESK right now that I've been enjoying for the past 6 months. It's just about gone and I have to say I will miss it and I hope to find another.

Regarding the description, I will agree that I get no fruit or floral notes.

[TunnelTiger]

With all due respect I still have an open 4RSBle12 on my bar and it is OESK.