Chris Chamberlain is the spirits writer for Nashville Scene, a nice gig. Here’s a taste of his column praising Four Roses.

I began to taste my way through the Kentucky Bourbon Trail from the comfort of my own couch. After lots of enjoyable research, I finally came to the conclusion that my favorite bourbon for the money is Four Roses Small Batch. Not too hot at 90 proof, Four Roses Small Batch starts out strong at first taste and mellows to a lovely soft smoothness as the ice melts and the water opens it up. At a retail price of around $29.99 for a fifth, Small Batch is not cheap; but I think it’s a great value for my spirit dollar.

So imagine my excitement when I heard that “Mr. Four Roses” himself was coming to town. Jim Rutledge has been the master distiller at Four Roses since 1995 and is a 44-year veteran in the distillery business.

As the brand’s principal ambassador and a member of the inaugural class of the Bourbon Hall of Fame, Jim is a man who can regale you for hours about the science, the craft and the magic of bourbon production.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have hours to spend with him as his Nashville schedule was jam-packed, but he did set aside some time to share his philosophy of distilling and flavor creation with me as I sat rapt. Well, maybe my attention did wander for a second or two when he opened that box containing samples of every different grain recipe and yeast combination currently in use at Four Roses. But after racking my brain for a distraction that would allow me to spirit away those precious spirits, I came up with nothing and returned to being a good little kōhai listening to my senpai. But don’t think I didn’t consider the old “fake seizure in the aisle” trick.