Four Roses' Oldest Bourbon Ever Is Limited To Around 1,200 Bottles - Here's The Only Way To Get One
From elevated cocktail bars to small-town dives, it's rare to scan a backbar without spotting a bottle of Four Roses bourbon. The Lawrenceburg, Kentucky-based distillery keeps the Kentucky bourbon tradition alive and at the forefront of industry action. Now, Four Roses has just announced the launch of Anthology: a line of rare and highly limited releases. The rollout begins with Chapter One: Origin — a 21-year-old bourbon and the brand's oldest bourbon offering ever. By comparison, classic Four Roses bourbon is aged for a minimum of five years.
Just 1,200 bottles of this ultra-premium bourbon are being released, fetching a retail price of $500. The availability of these costly, rare bottles is also decidedly elusive. Chapter One: Origin will only be sold at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, starting on July 10. There, fans can tour the distillery and warehouse, as well as sample a selection of bourbons. Chapter One: Origin will also be sold at the brand's Whiskey Row event on July 11 — a pop-up experience held at the original Four Roses headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.
Missed out on the first drop? Keep an eye out for the next announcement of future releases in the Anthology series from this well-known American whiskey brand by visiting fourrosesbourbon.com or following @fourrosesbourbon on Instagram.
Rooted in Kentucky — and only available there, too
According to an official press release, each release in Four Roses' conceptual Anthology series is meant to represent a landmark chapter in the distillery's history, beginning in 1888. This first, aptly-named bourbon symbolizes the brand's origin story, when founder Paul Jones Jr.'s future wife showed up to a dance wearing a corsage of four red roses. In due fashion, Chapter One: Origin sports notes of oak, cherry, cacao, and honey on the palate, rounded out by dimensional apricot, vanilla, and mint on the nose. Bottled at up to 124.9 proof, this punchy, barrel-strength bourbon is accessible enough for sipping thanks to its long, smooth, fruity finish. Still, it's a markedly stronger potency than the 90-proof small-batch and 100-proof single barrel bourbons with which Four Roses fans might be acquainted.
The timing of this release is especially impactful considering Four Roses' parent company, Kirin Holdings Co. in Japan, recently sold the distillery to E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto, California, for $775 million, an acquisition that was completed in April 2026. Four Roses' new mega-quality release is both a nod to the brand's history and its future — and fans have already taken to social media to sound off their excitement. A July 5 Instagram Reel accounted the Anthology series and drew comments like "Contender for bourbon of the year? Probably!" and "Look at that beaut!" In a separate Instagram post, fans lamented the artisanal bottle's extreme exclusivity: "I'd say sign me [up] but the odds of getting one are not likely due to the high demand and line it will create. I'm sure it'll be a great bourbon though. Cheers to another bottle most people won't see or taste."