Very Important Four Roses Issue

[kevinbrink]

All I want to have a serious discussion on the forum about something I have been noticing more and more lately.  Lately it seems as though other websites have been having more side by side comparisons of Four Roses Private Selections. I have noticed some observations on the forum in the past discussing trivial matters like whether the ages on these barrels is going down or if stores have less options to choose from these days.  Who really cares, at the end of the day I want to discuss something that really matters. Why do some bottles come with the Leather neckbands that hold the recipe tag while others just have the lame gold foil neckband and a piece of string.  As I have stated elsewhere, the truth of the matter is at this point who cares about what is in the bottle, what really matters is the presentation. I open the forum to the rest of you to comment on what is clearly the most important controversy in the bourbon world today. Who cares if the TTB is correctly identifying label issues if we can't at least get consistency in Four Roses Private Selection neck labels, and by consistency I mean the nicer clearly superior leather ones.

 

Thanks for your time.

[amg]

They used to always use the gold foil neckband for the barrel proof picks but have recently switched over to the leather neckbands for those. If you see one with the leather neckband it was probably bottled within the past year.

[kevinbrink]

8 minutes ago, amg said:

They used to always use the gold foil neckband for the barrel proof picks but have recently switched over to the leather neckbands for those. If you see one with the leather neckband it was probably bottled within the past year.

Noted, however a local LS just put a new bottling out with gold foil neck labels, so I believe there is a conspiracy afoot. 

[amg]

Just now, kevinbrink said:

Noted, however a local LS just put a new bottling out with gold foil neck labels, so I believe there is a conspiracy afoot. 

It's possible that it was just sitting in the distribution queue for a long time. For example, one of the stores here put out a new Four Roses pick back in November. However, on the side label it said that it was bottled in the spring of 2015.

[CardsandBourbon]

I for one think they should all have the leather bands.  If you can't have a little bit of sadomasochistic fantasy time while looking at your bottle of bourbon, what good is it. 

[kevinbrink]

5 minutes ago, amg said:

It's possible that it was just sitting in the distribution queue for a long time. For example, one of the stores here put out a new Four Roses pick back in November. However, on the side label it said that it was bottled in the spring of 2015.

While this may be true I still have my suspicions, however one thing I'm sure we can all agree on is that this Leather Neckband certainly adds value to these bottles, I suspect 4R could charge upwards of $10 more per bottle, the same could easily be said for the new tubes Basil Hayden's seems to be using.  

[kevinbrink]

Just now, CardsandBourbon said:

I for one think they should all have the leather bands.  If you can't have a little bit of sadomasochistic fantasy time while looking at your bottle of bourbon, what good is it. 

This is an excellent point, great contribution to this highly important thread.  I will now spend the next few moments contemplating uses for this new and valuable leather, or at least leather like band.

[amg]

Basil Hayden comes in tubes now? That adds some much needed value to that brand.

[kevinbrink]

3 minutes ago, amg said:

Basil Hayden comes in tubes now? That adds some much needed value to that brand.

Some might think they should have upped the proof but really who wouldn't prefer a cardboard tube. It almost adds as much value as the fancy metal doodads on the bottle and the over sized poncho of a label.

Edited March 24, 2017 by kevinbrink
doodads got spell checked unacceptable!!!!

[amg]

Maybe Four Roses will offer add-on leather bands to upgrade your existing bottles. I hate the thought of having all of these obsolete bottles on hand.

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

This is an excellent point, great contribution to this highly important thread.  I will now spend the next few moments contemplating uses for this new and valuable leather, or at least leather like band.

Many people seem to spell Blanton's with bottle stoppers. Perhaps we could step it up several notches and collect enough Four Roses leather bands to make a Four Roses leather belt. Or, possibly a leather wallet (that would be empty from buying so many bottles of bourbon).

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[kevinbrink]

Just now, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

 

Many people seem to spell Blanton's with bottle stoppers. Perhaps we could step it up several notches and collect enough Four Roses leather bands to make a Four Roses leather belt. Or, possibly a leather wallet (that would be empty from buying so many bottles of bourbon).

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

 

The marketing potential here is endless... 

[CardsandBourbon]

What we need to do is create a cross branding between 

 and  

Barbie decked out in leather (or pleather) from Four Roses is something that would excite us all.

Edited March 24, 2017 by CardsandBourbon

[kevinbrink]

3 minutes ago, CardsandBourbon said:

What we need to do is create a cross branding between 

 

 and  

 

Barbie decked out in leather (or pleather) from Four Roses is something that would excite us all.

Honestly much in the spirit of Blanton's, which honestly I only buy to collect the horses, what if every four roses bottle had a different variety of rose stamped on the either the beautiful leather band or at the very least the bottle stopper. According the my research which was a very thorough process that involved typing the words "how many types of roses are there" into the Google, there are around 150 varieties of Roses.  Now that may seem like a lot but perhaps they could spread these out like do 12-15 per year, I can't wait to hear people argue about which bottling they never opened was better High Society or Iguana (real rose names thanks google).

[Paddy]

^^^Barbie is hot!  I would add that they should secure the leather neck bands with some form of metal chain. 

 

Barbie, in leather and chains, no less! 

[kevinbrink]

If 10 years from now there isn't a leather neckband anniversary bottling 4R is really missing an opportunity, they could package it in a real wood grain cardboard box much like RY10SB came in last year. Though at the thousands such a limited bottling will cost by then surely the packaging should contain pieces of the still the juice was made with set into a decanter made to be authentically hand blown to 2017 Four Roses bottle specifications.

Edited March 24, 2017 by kevinbrink

[CardsandBourbon]

18 minutes ago, Paddy said:

^^^Barbie is hot!  I would add that they should secure the leather neck bands with some form of metal chain. 

 

Barbie, in leather and chains, no less! 

 

   Be still my beating heart.  Maybe they could do a gift set that has Ken tied down with the chains while Barbie lightly spanks him with the leather straps.

[Limegoldconvertible68]

All of my Private Selection bottles have the gold foil. The only bottles I have with the leather are the generic single barrel bottles. Since this is a conspiracy theory thread I can only deduce the following. The store I bought mine at is located in KY and the owner has some serious connections so the bottles with the foil are much better and more desirable. Likewise since the leather is on the generic SB bottles the PS bottles with the leather are also of generic quality. My logic appears to be unflappable so I am surely right. 

[b1gcountry]

I just realized 90+% of bourbon drinkers would trade an age statement for a cardboard tube...

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[JoeTerp]

I prefer the foil over the leather band as I like to distinguish the bottle from the normal SB. 

[BottledInBond]

While the foil bands did historically make it easier to spot the private selection bottles, it did always puzzle me why they have the inferior (imo) band on the higher end product. Regardless this is an amusing thread.

 

Here is my unsolicited advice to Four Roses on the neckband matter: use the leather ones for PS bottles, and have them in 10 different colors signifying the different recipes. Then collectors would rush out to buy all 10 again to have them displayed in their bar areas like that. Instant sales boost (although they probably don't need a sales boost on PS currently)

[fishnbowljoe]

Excuse me while I contribute to thread drift a little........ 

 

This discussion of leather neck bands and gold foil reminded me of something. As a (former) fisherman, I was always excited when new and fancy lures came out. Fortunately, my go to guy at my favorite sporting goods store helped set me straight. His words of wisdom to me were, "You know Joe, fancy lures might catch fish, but they were also designed to catch fishermen first."  Yes, I've posted this before, but it was a long time ago. 

 

FR's bottles have remained unchanged for the most part, so I'm not saying they have fancy packaging just to catch ones eye. However, one can't help but wonder about foil labels, cardboard boxes & tubes, embroidered bags, wooden boxes, colorful wax, etc..... FWIW, I find the recent Weller bottle/label change to be somewhat refreshing. To me, it's honest and simple, yet also a bit elegant in an understated sort of way. Being the Weller whore that I am, I admit I may be just a tad biased. 

 

Carry on.

 

Joe

[0895]

10 hours ago, JoeTerp said:

I prefer the foil over the leather band as I like to distinguish the bottle from the normal SB. 

For sure.

Nothing worse than being a little tipsy, trying to reach for your favorite private selection, and getting regular old single barrel instead......I mean I don't know about the rest of you, but it's mistakes like this that ruin lives...

 

Working with my local printing shop right now to make up replica gold foil neckbands to swap mine out.

Planning to sell the leather straps on eBay as pappy van winkle S&M memorabilia

[Flyfish]

14 hours ago, JoeTerp said:

I prefer the foil over the leather band as I like to distinguish the bottle from the normal SB. 

Perhaps you should consider decanting the leather banded bottles into the foil banded bottles to really impress your friends. After a while, you'll be so confused yourself about which is better that....Oh, never mind.

[mbroo5880i]

On 3/24/2017 at 3:46 PM, Paddy said:

^^^Barbie is hot!  I would add that they should secure the leather neck bands with some form of metal chain. 

 

Barbie, in leather and chains, no less! 

 

I much prefer Barbie over Mila Kunis as a bourbon spokesperson.  She is much more creditable since you know she isn't getting paid.