LAWRENCEBURG, KY -- 10/18/07 --
Bourbon connoisseurs in Illinois may
experience déjà vu, as a long-time favorite Bourbon is returning to the
area after a 45-year absence.
Four Roses Bourbon was the top-selling U.S. Bourbon during much of the
1930s, '40s and '50s, when its distribution changed to focus solely
overseas. The Kentucky-made Bourbon is making its comeback with Four Roses
Single Barrel and Four Roses Small Batch, both set to land in restaurants,
bars and liquor stores throughout Illinois by mid-November.
"We are no strangers to Illinois and it's great to be back," said Jim
Rutledge, Four Roses Master Distiller and a Bourbon Hall of Fame member,
who has been with Four Roses for 40 years.
In 2002, Four Roses was re-introduced to the U.S. with distribution limited
to Kentucky. Rutledge said Four Roses has had double-digit growth every
year since and have increased "our barrel inventories to the level that can
now support the introduction of Four Roses into other select markets."
Nationwide, Bourbon has been experiencing a resurgence, which Rutledge
attributes to many distilleries in Kentucky producing and marketing
ultra-premium Bourbons over the past decade. "There's no doubt that the
single-barrel and small-batch craze has pulled this industry up by its
bootstraps," he said.
Shortly after Four Roses Single Barrel was introduced, it was named "Best
American Whiskey Under 10 Years Old" by Whisky Magazine in its 2005 Best of
Best Awards, and was recently named "Best Bourbon - No Age Statement" among
more than 150 proprietary whiskies at the 2007 World Whiskies Awards at
Whisky Live in New York City.
Four Roses Small Batch was introduced last year at the Kentucky Bourbon
Festival and quickly sold out of its first bottling run, forcing a second
bottling run much sooner than anticipated. Both Bourbons recently earned a
rare five-star rating, the highest awarded by Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal,
a leading liquor-industry publication.
Illinois will be one of four states outside Kentucky where Four Roses is
now available. The brand returned to New York, New Jersey and Tennessee
earlier this year.
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Contact:
Nick Clark
502.589.7711
nclark@bch.com
