Our Story: A Southern Romance

The story of Four Roses Bourbon began in 1888 with a romantic proposal. Our founder, Paul Jones Jr., sent a marriage proposal to a beautiful Southern belle. He requested that if her answer was “yes,” she should wear a rose corsage to the upcoming grand ball.

When she arrived wearing a striking corsage of four red roses, a legendary love story—and the name of America’s most distinctive Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey—was born.

The Craft: 10 Unique Recipes, 1 Unmatched Bourbon

What sets the Four Roses Distillery apart from every other whiskey maker in the world is our dedication to flavor precision. We handcraft 10 unique bourbon recipes, allowing us to create unmatched depth and consistency in every bottle.

We achieve this by combining two distinct mash bills (high-rye and high-corn) with five proprietary yeast strains:

  • Mash Bill B (35% Rye): Adds a robust, rich spiciness.

  • Mash Bill E (20% Rye): Creates a smooth, bright, and mellow profile.

  • Our 5 Yeast Strains: Meticulously cultured to deliver distinct notes ranging from delicate fruit and bright spice to rich floral and herbal essences.

By expertly blending these ten distinct profiles, Master Distiller Brent Elliott and his team craft our award-winning flagship Bourbon, Small Batch, and Single Barrel expressions.

Our Heritage: Distilled with Kentucky Pride

Our operations live in two historic Kentucky locations, each vital to the liquid in your glass:

  • The Lawrenceburg Distillery: Built in 1910 along the Salt River, our main facility features a striking, unique Spanish Mission-style architecture and is proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Cox’s Creek Warehousing: Located in settling hills 50 miles away, our bourbon ages exclusively in single-story rickhouses. This minimizes extreme temperature shifts, ensuring a mellow, uniform aging process that multi-story warehouses cannot match.

From surviving Prohibition as a medicinal spirit to our global return to American shelves, Four Roses remains dedicated to the heritage, romance, and meticulous craft that started it all.