Many consumers look forward to our annual Limited Edition series of Special Single Barrel and Small Batch Bourbon offerings. (I enjoy reading the speculations of Bourbon connoisseurs across the U.S. relative to the recipe we will use for our next LE Single Barrel offering. Speculating on the formula of recipes for our LE Small Batch is too complex for speculation.) We are targeting May for the introduction of our Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon. This year we will use one of the 10 recipes that has not previously been bottled as a stand-alone Bourbon brand, and I am confident it will be a resounding success. I’m afraid the demand will be greater than our supply, and I won’t know for sure how many bottles we can fill until the barrels are actually dumped and gauged. The recipe we will use this year is OBSQ. “B” mashbill consists of: 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. “Q” yeast generates a floral essence and when I first analyzed samples from the barrels we have selected I distinctly recall the first aroma I noticed reminded me of a “bouquet of red roses,” and it was Amazing! I believe you will have the same delight and perception.

Four Roses’ 2011 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon is uncut and non-chill filtered with approximately 3,600 bottles to be distributed in May to markets where the brand is currently available.

We are also working on our Limited Edition Small Batch which will be introduced in September. Small Batch takes a lot longer to arrive at the ultimate formula – since various combinations of all 10 recipes may be considered. I’m not sure at this time how many of our recipes we will use to achieve “something special,” but it will probably be specially selected barrels from 2 or 3 of our ten recipes.

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“This is an overwhelming honor that caps off the year-long celebration of our distillery building’s 100th anniversary,” said Jim Rutledge, Four Roses Master Distiller. “We’ve worked hard to bring Four Roses premium Kentucky Bourbon back to the states.”

Once the nation’s leading Bourbon in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Four Roses was pulled from U.S. distribution by then owner Seagram to market the brand solely overseas. Eight years ago, with distribution limited to Kentucky, Four Roses returned to the domestic market after four decades of absence.

Four Roses continues to build on the success of the, annual Limited Edition Single Barrel and Small Batch offerings – the most recent being
a small batch featuring three of Four Roses’ ten recipes – OBSV aged 15 years, OBSK aged 11 years and OESK aged 10 years.

Also gaining popularity is the private barrel selection program the distillery conducts for retailers or groups interested in purchasing a barrel, complete with a private tasting and customized bottling.

“This honor from Whisky Magazine puts everything into perspective,” added Rutledge. “We’re very appreciative and excited about the future of Four Roses.”

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“Cooking with bourbon has become such a huge concept and gives dishes of all sorts a unique and complex flavor,” said Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge. “The Bourbon Bootlegger Pizza is a creative and delicious concept that everyone is sure to enjoy, especially those bourbon enthusiasts.”

The recipe for the Bourbon Bootlegger includes ingredients such as grilled chicken, bacon, red onions and provolone cheese. The sauce is the star of the dish and is comprised of garlic, onion, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and Four Roses bourbon.

Tom Behr, owner of Pazzo’s Pizza Pub, enjoyed creating the “bootlegger” so much that he went a step further and crafted a sandwich inspired by the pizza. The sandwich consists of the same ingredients used in the pizza and is also served with a side of the special bourbon-infused sauce for customers wanting to savor even more of the bourbon flavor.

“We were thrilled to partner with Four Roses Bourbon and are confident that this offering will be a big seller for us,” said Behr. “Almost everyone loves pizza, and Kentucky is the bourbon capital of the world, so a dish that combines the two will undoubtedly be popular.”

The Bourbon Bootlegger Pizza and sandwich are now available at Pazzo’s Pizza Pub located at 385 South Limestone Street on the University of Kentucky campus.

For more information, visit www.fourroses.us or www.pazzospizzapub.com.

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“This pizza pairs two Kentucky classics, with the Hot Brown originating in Kentucky and 95 percent of the world’s bourbon being made in Kentucky as well,” said Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge. “This is one of the more creative uses of bourbon in cooking that I’ve come across and one I’d recommend Louisvillians try at least once while it’s available.”

The recipe for the Kentucky Bourbon Hot Brown Pizza calls for tweaking a house-made alfredo sauce with dry herbs, spices and cheese to emulate the traditional Mornay sauce used in a Hot Brown, yet giving it an Italian twist. Fresh-diced chicken in a Four Roses Dijon Marinade, bacon soaked in Four Roses bourbon, and shredded fresh mozzarella and cheddar cheese with a sprinkle of paprika and diced tomatoes round out the special fall offering.

The creation of the Four Roses Kentucky Bourbon Hot Brown Pizza was a “painstaking process” as described by the creators, Impellizzeri’s General Manager, David McNamara and Sullivan University culinary graduate, Brandon Lewis.

“I’ve been in the restaurant business for 15 years and the two of us were crestfallen when we discovered after at least half a dozen tries that we could not come up with the right taste,” said McNamara.

The final recipe was born of a newfound obsession with bourbon. Through experimentation, McNamara and Lewis thought a pizza based on the Hot Brown and spiced up with a splash of bourbon would be well received, and a very appropriate mix on two beloved Kentucky traditions. Appropriately, the final product would be released in September during Bourbon Heritage Month.

The Four Roses Kentucky Bourbon Hot Brown Pizza will be served throughout September and October at each Impellizzeri’s location – Bardstown Road, Old Brownsboro Road at Holiday Manor as well as the upcoming downtown Main Street location across from the KFC Yum Arena.

For more information, visit http://www.fourroses.us or http://www.impellizzeris.com.

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The Limited Edition Small Batch includes three of Four Roses’ 10 recipes. It will feature the Four Roses recipe coded OBSV aged 15 years, OBSK aged 11 years, and OESK aged 10 years. The three bourbon recipes have been mingled at barrel strength to create a rich, complex spirit defined by soft oak, caramel and honeysuckle aromas. Subtle flavors of cherries, apricot, light spice, honey and raspberries are present giving it a creamy, smooth and mellow finish.

The release is timed to coincide with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Approximately 3,600 bottles of this uncut, non-chill filtered bourbon will be produced and distributed in markets where Four Roses is currently available.

The new Limited Edition Small Batch comes on the heels of Four Roses’ most recent limited edition product – a single barrel bourbon released this spring to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Lawrenceburg distillery building.

Unlike the Limited Edition Single Barrel, which represents one Four Roses recipe aged to perfection, the new Limited Edition Small Batch represents a marriage of recipes to create a unique and special Bourbon of complex and layered flavors.

“The three recipes chosen for this small batch bourbon each express unique flavor characteristics that collectively create an exquisite, timeless bourbon,” said Jim Rutledge, Four Roses Master Distiller. “As this bourbon is being released during our distillery building’s 100th anniversary year, we wanted to commemorate a special time with another special bourbon. I believe this is a classic, well defined bourbon you’ll not just savor, but long remember.”

Four Roses is the only distillery that combines five proprietary yeast strains with two separate mashbills to produce 10 distinct bourbon recipes, each with its own unique character. More information about each of Four Roses Bourbon recipes is available at www.fourroses.us/ten .

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Join Four Roses Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge and a well-known panel of judges as they select a truly remarkable Bourbon in honor of the Great Steamboat Race.  The Barrel Selection on the Belle of Louisville will be held on Monday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. The specially selected Single Barrel will be served during The Great Steamboat Race.

For the 5^th consecutive year, Four Roses will be a contributing sponsor of the Great Steamboat Race on Wednesday, April 28, a Kentucky Derby Festival event.  A limited number of tickets are being offered to Mellow Moment Club members at a discount price of $65.00 each.  Tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve, basis with a maximum of 2 tickets per person.  Four Roses will have a tasting booth aboard the Belle of Louisville for everyone to enjoy.  Jim and other Four Roses staff will be on board and will be looking forward to spending time with members.

Throughout the day on Wednesday, April 28, Four Roses will be the featured Bourbon at “The Kentucky Bourbon Tent” at Fest-a-Ville.  Stop by the full-service bar, or just to say hello.

For additional Derby Events and details please visit: www.kdf.org

Four Roses news and events visit: www.fourroses.us

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The Four Roses 100th Anniversary Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon will be released in early April just in time for the Kentucky Derby. Bottled at barrel strength and non-chill filtered, the distillery will produce only about 2,300 bottles to be distributed nationally in markets where Four Roses is currently available.

Selected from one of Four Roses’ 10 Bourbon recipes, the rare, 17-year-old offering boasts an aroma of brisk cloves and candied fruits while hints of peach and cherry meld seamlessly with creamy, spiced vanilla and oak.

“Every year our goal is to select the most special recipe aged to perfection,” said Jim Rutledge, Master Distiller of Four Roses Bourbon. “A milestone anniversary deserves a milestone bourbon and we believe this release is one-of-a-kind.”

The Four Roses Distillery, on the banks of the scenic Salt River, is a special find on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail route. The facility was built in 1910 and features a unique Spanish Mission-Style architecture rarely seen in Kentucky. The distillery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A gold etching of the distillery building is featured on the back of the limited edition bottle, adding to its appeal for the Bourbon enthusiast or collector.

Four Roses seeks oldest distillery employee
Also to commemorate the anniversary, Four Roses is searching for the oldest living person to have worked at its Lawrenceburg distillery. Once found, later this year, the individual will receive the No. 1 bottle of the limited edition bourbon release autographed by Rutledge as a collector’s item, and a still at the distillery will be named in their honor.

“Over the years, we have seen so many team members who are so committed and dedicated to our Bourbon,” said Rutledge. “The Four Roses Distillery could not have reached this level of success without a dedicated, loyal and hard-working staff. I applaud our entire team, and look forward to the future of Four Roses Bourbon.”

People who would like to submit someone for consideration as the oldest former distillery employee can contact Four Roses at (502) 839-3436 or by email at info@fourroses.biz for more information.

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Be sure to check out the first review of this bourbon over at BourbonBlog.com

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“Cooking with bourbon or making a batch of eggnog during the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays can be a wonderful family tradition,” said Hall of Fame Master Distiller Jim Rutledge of Four Roses Bourbon in Lawrenceburg, Ky.

Rutledge said his distillery receives emails from across the country asking for an eggnog recipe that ran in a Life magazine advertisement in the 1930s.

“It makes us proud that we’re able to continue being a part of those traditions to this day,” Rutledge said.

Chef Dean Corbett of one of Louisville, Ky.’s fine-dining restaurants, Equus, believes bourbon can add interest and intrigue to many dishes that are perfect for holiday entertaining.

“Bourbon is such a versatile ingredient,” Corbett said. “You can throw it in a sauce to enhance a savory dish like our Shrimp Jenkins. Its sweet notes also make it a natural for desserts like bread pudding and Bananas Foster.”

Equus’ bar manager and Louisville Magazine’s pick for the city’s best bartender, Joy Perrine suggests warming up a holiday party with bourbon as the featured punch ingredient, or a rich, steamy drink like the Hot Buttered Bourbon made with bourbon and real butter.

Four Roses Eggnog (from Life magazine ad, 1936)
–  Beat separately yolks and whites of 6 eggs.
–  Add 1/2 cup of sugar to yolks while beating.
–  Add 1/4 cup of sugar to whites after they have been beaten very stiff.
–  Mix egg whites with yolks.
–  Stir in 1 pint of cream and 1 pint of milk.
–  Add a pint of Four Roses and 1 oz. Jamaican rum. Stir thoroughly and serve very cold.

Hot Buttered Bourbon (from Joy Perrine’s Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book, 2009)

–  5 oz. hot water
–  2 oz. spice-infused bourbon
–  3/4 oz. brown sugar syrup
–  1 oz. butter at room temp (no butter substitutes!)
–  Combine water, bourbon and syrup. Stir well.
–  Add the butter and stir rapidly to blend the butter into the rest of the mix. Serve immediately.

For more information on holiday gift offerings or drink recipes, visit www.fourroses.us

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