drink
T
his Valentine’s Day, why not give that special someone in your life something a little more creative and thoughtful than a standard bouquet of flowers? Something like bourbon. “While it may not initially seem like a romantic gesture, the story behind Four Roses Bourbon is nothing short of a fairy tale,” says Al Young, brand historian of Four Roses Bourbon Distillery. According to Young, the legend of Four Roses began with a man in love. “In the 1860s, eventual Four Roses founder Paul Jones Jr. became smitten with the charm and beauty of a Southern belle. It is said that he sent a proposal to her, and she replied that if her answer was ‘yes’ to his bold advances, she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball,” Young explains. The night of the ball, the beauty arrived in a gown fit for a princess – along with a corsage of four red roses. Just a few years later, Jones crafted his first batch of bourbon, naming it Four Roses as a symbol of his devotion and passion for the Southern belle, who became his wife. “It [bourbon] was the only thing in the world that he had as much passion for as her,” Young says. And like any true love, Four Roses has more than stood the test of time. It has thrived despite Prohibition, two world wars and even 40 years of exile from the U.S. – when its makers temporarily shipped it off to Europe for exclusive sale overseas. It has also been named the American Whisky Distiller of the Year for four of the past five years by Whisky Magazine. “Four Roses is the only bourbon distillery that combines five proprietary yeast strains with two separate mash bills to produce 10 distinct bourbon recipes, each with its own unique character; spiciness; and rich, fruity flavors. All 10 of these recipes are gently aged undisturbed in new white oak barrels in our one-of-akind single story rack warehouses,” Young says.
ROSES, REVISED
Forgo the flowers for a bouquet of bourbon BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
The core range of the brand is Four Roses Bourbon Yellow, Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel, each available at most fine liquor stores in the Valley.
Four Roses Bourbon Yellow (80 proof) Created through the mingling of all 10 recipes, this bourbon is a worldwide favorite, particularly when making sophisticated, contemporary cocktails. Smooth and mellow, hints of pear and apple UPTOWN |
78
| FEBRUARY 2017
complement floral aromas and mix with flavors of honey and spice. Available for $19.99.
Four Roses Small Batch (90 proof) Four of the bourbon recipes have been expertly selected and blended by the master distiller at the peak of maturation to create a perfectly balanced small-batch bourbon that offers a mellow symphony of rich, spicy flavors along with sweet, fruity aromas and hints of sweet oak and caramel. Available for $29.99.
Four Roses Single Barrel (100 proof) This premium single barrel bourbon gives a complex, full-bodied flavor that begs to be savored again and again. It contains hints of ripe plum and cherry with fruity, spicy aromas including maple syrup and cocoa. Available for $39.99.