William Dowd is the author of a great blog that deals with all distilled spirits. Recently he made a discovery that triggered a lot of fond bourbon memories and I recommend you read it.

I came across the bottle when my recently-widowed stepfather was closing up his house and moving to assisted living quarters. In his day, he had been known to enjoy a drop or three of bourbon, rye and blended American whiskies. He’s gradually gotten out of the habit as the years went along, and what was left in his cabinet was a collection of oddities.

Dowd gives a detailed analysis of his discovery, it’s lineage, and the history of Four Roses. Growing up, Four Roses was the bourbon on the top shelf of the hall closet at our house. And yes, it was there, at a very tender age, that I drew my first taste of Kentucky Bourbon. Straight out of the bottle.

Four Roses has introduced a single barrel and several small-batch bourbons, as well as a series of limited-edition commemmorative bottlings. Its Four Roses Single Barrel now is Kentucky’s top-selling bourbon in the single-barrel category.