Four Roses
May/30/2007
A Run For The Roses
By Dan Dunn
About
ten years ago The Imbiber had the pleasure of
spending a few hours in the company of Jim Beam’s
grandson, Booker Noe, who passed away in February
2004. When I met Booker he was nearly 70 years old
and carried his considerable weight around with the
assistance of a wooden cane, but in all the ways that
mattered he was still the same bourbon-swilling
Kentucky boy who began learning the family business
back in 1950. Booker passed along some invaluable
advice that day about the proper method of evaluating
bourbon. He simply said, “Drink it any way you like
it, then figure out if you like it.” Since then, with
apologies to the purists in my profession, I’ve
taste-tested bourbon the same way every time — on the
rocks with ginger ale.
These days, Beam is the most popular bourbon in America, but back in Booker’s formative years the biggest seller was Four Roses, which has been around since the 1880s. Space is limited, otherwise I’d explain why Four Roses disappeared from the States in the late 1950s, but suffice it to say it’s back with a vengeance. Currently, Four Roses is making a big push with Single Barrel ($40/bottle) and Small Batch ($30) bourbons. Reintroduced exclusively in Kentucky in 2002 (when Kirin Brewery Co. bought the brand from Seagrams) over the past year the brand has made its way to major metropolitan areas on the east coast. Finding a bottle may not be easy at this juncture, but it’s worth the extra effort.
The signature flavor of Four Roses most likely is attributable to the fermentation process. Most brands ferment in steel tanks, but Four Roses’ bubbly mash spends three days inside giant vats made from 150-year-old red cypress trees. The resulting spirit is smoother than the curve of a woman’s back, and finishes like the stuff Booker Noe is likely sipping up in Heaven… assuming brand loyalty doesn’t extend beyond the Pearly Gates. Oh, and the stuff tastes damn good on the rocks with ginger ale… the true test of greatness, if you ask me.
By Dan Dunn
These days, Beam is the most popular bourbon in America, but back in Booker’s formative years the biggest seller was Four Roses, which has been around since the 1880s. Space is limited, otherwise I’d explain why Four Roses disappeared from the States in the late 1950s, but suffice it to say it’s back with a vengeance. Currently, Four Roses is making a big push with Single Barrel ($40/bottle) and Small Batch ($30) bourbons. Reintroduced exclusively in Kentucky in 2002 (when Kirin Brewery Co. bought the brand from Seagrams) over the past year the brand has made its way to major metropolitan areas on the east coast. Finding a bottle may not be easy at this juncture, but it’s worth the extra effort.
The signature flavor of Four Roses most likely is attributable to the fermentation process. Most brands ferment in steel tanks, but Four Roses’ bubbly mash spends three days inside giant vats made from 150-year-old red cypress trees. The resulting spirit is smoother than the curve of a woman’s back, and finishes like the stuff Booker Noe is likely sipping up in Heaven… assuming brand loyalty doesn’t extend beyond the Pearly Gates. Oh, and the stuff tastes damn good on the rocks with ginger ale… the true test of greatness, if you ask me.
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