We get Four Roses, you don't

July 17, 8:50 PMChicago Drinks ExaminerCharles Cowdery

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Illinois is one of only seven states in which Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is distributed. Good for us, because it's really, really good.

Four Roses Bourbon was a top-seller during much of the 1930s, '40s and '50s, then it died out here but became popular overseas.

Ever since 1946, Four Roses Bourbon has been made at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, but for many years the distillery's employees couldn't go to a liquor store or bar and buy the product they made, because no straight whiskey made at that distillery was sold in the United States.

In 2002, Four Roses Bourbon was officially re-introduced to the U.S. with distribution limited to Kentucky. It actually became available there a few years before that, but on a very small scale. The 2002 date coincides with the sale of Seagram's for parts and the acquisition by Kirin Brewery of the Four Roses distillery and brand.

Illinois got distribution in 2007, along with New York, New Jersey and Tennessee. Colorado and California were added earlier this year. They are rolling out new states as barrel inventories get to a level that can support another market.

There currently are three Four Roses expressions sold in the USA, standard (colloquially known as Yellow Label, except they changed it and now it's more beige, but we still call it yellow), Single Barrel and Small Batch. They're all good, and not surprisingly they get better as the price goes up. Yellow Label is about $20, Small Batch is about $30, and Single Barrel is about $40. There are also a couple of limited editions, hard to find, all in the Single Barrel bottle, and priced $60-$70.

Four Roses is the top-selling bourbon in Japan. Kirin had been distributing it there for Seagram's and jumped when it became available. (Four Roses was small potatoes in the overall Seagram's deal.)

It's still hard to find Four Roses in bars, although Delilah's and the Spoke certainly have it. Truth be told, they had it before it could be had. Any good liquor store should have at least one of the expressions. Four Roses is good to try if you're not sure you like bourbon. If you don't like Four Roses, you probably don't like bourbon.