Four Roses just announced something worth paying attention to. And paying a lot for, if you want one.
The Anthology Series is a new annual limited-release series built around telling the brand’s story, one chapter at a time. Chapter One: Origin kicks things off with a 21-year-old bourbon, the oldest release in Four Roses history, crafted from their OBSF recipe and bottled at up to 124.9 proof. The nose reportedly brings deep apricot, vanilla, and spiced mint. The palate goes creamy oak, ripe cherry, cacao, and honey, with a finish of antique oak and lingering fruit. On paper, it sounds genuinely impressive.
Around 1,200 bottles will be available exclusively at the Four Roses Visitor Center starting July 10, and at a pop-up event on Louisville’s historic Whiskey Row on July 11. The suggested retail price is $500. 🙄
Two weeks ago, I wrote about Wild Turkey’s Austin Nichols Archives Collection Gold Foil Edition, a 16-year-old they dropped for $400 a bottle. Now, Four Roses follows right behind at $500. Brands are not backing off on premium pricing despite a cooling market. True, these releases have been in the planning pipeline for a long time, so pumping the brakes isn’t an option, but if they sell out (as I think they will), the brands will likely continue to lean even harder into the premium market. The longer they hold whiskey in the barrel, the more runway they have to justify stratospheric price tags on limited runs. Keep the allocated, collectible tier alive for the folks who chase it. Let the core lineup hold down the everyday drinker.
The problem is that the second part only works if those everyday drinkers still feel like the brand sees them.
Look, I’m a huge Four Roses lover, and I have no doubt this is a serious bottle. Everything I’ve heard says it delivers. I’d love to get my hands on a bottle and tell you exactly where it lands. But $500 is where my enthusiasm and my wallet part ways. A lot of people who fell in love with Four Roses Yellow Label or Small Batch know exactly what I mean.
If you’re a collector and this is your thing, best of luck on the hunt. Twelve hundred bottles don’t go far.
For the rest of us, I’ll keep watching how this plays out and whether Four Roses finds ways to innovate that benefit the rank-and-file drinkers (translation: budget-friendly) who have made it such a consumer favorite since its return to the US market in 2002. (Hint: stop ignoring rye whiskey)
More details at FourRosesBourbon.com.
