This Budget Bourbon Just Dropped Its Most Premium Whiskey Yet

It’s the legendary Kentucky distillery’s first major move into the ultra-luxury range.

Amber glass bottle with embossed roses and a wooden cap labeled "Origin" on a beige background.

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By Ethan Brehm

Published June 3, 2026

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Four Roses might be the ultimate budget bourbon. Largely because it doesn’t behave like one.

Easy to find yet not as ubiquitous as the likes of Knob Creek or Maker’s Mark, the Kentucky staple still holds some serious cachet.

If I don’t want to bust out my premium stuff, the distillery’s Single Barrel or even Small Batch are fine alternatives that won’t break the bank. Its entry-level range encompasses multiple tiers, from around $30 to $65, depending what your budget is. What’s more is the Four Roses packaging is attractive enough to fool non-enthusiasts into thinking you’ve brought something top-shelf to the party (it certainly tastes the part).

Wooden surface with a round wooden coaster featuring an engraved rose design and a white cross-shaped object with a similar rose engraving. — Four Roses is known for its entry-level bourbons but this new release marks its first major move into luxury territory.

This is why the latest release from the distillery is raising eyebrows. Not only is it significantly more premium than anything they’ve released before but it’s arguably the most significant.

Not your average Four Roses

Inaugurating a new annual limited-edition Anthology series, Chapter One: Origin hoists a $500 price tag, which is far more than most of the competition. By comparison, Knob Creek’s 21 Year has an MSRP of half the price.

Close-up of a wooden Four Roses Bourbon plaque with gold lettering and a rose emblem. — The Origin bourbon marks the inaugural entry into the new premium Anthology series.

White and orange Four Roses Bourbon Anthology 21-year-old box with embossed rose patterns on a wooden surface near stacked books and red curtains. — Anthology will be a 10-bottle annual series, with each release telling a different chapter from the brand’s history.

While all whiskeys from this 10-bottle series help to tell the story of Four Roses, Origin pays homage to the brand’s founding back in 1888. The tale goes that founder Paul Jones Jr. professed his love to a young woman, who agreed to his proposal of marriage by showing up at a ball wearing a corsage with four roses — hence the name.

Four Roses Anthology 21-year-old bourbon bottle with wooden cap next to beige embossed box on a table. — At 21 years, this is Four Roses oldest expression to date.

Finally 21

The hefty price tag isn’t for nothing. This special release also contains the distillery’s oldest expression ever, a 21-year bourbon that comes from a single barrel of its stock.

Bottled at a whopping 62.45% ABV, this is a cask-strength high-rye bourbon (for fanatics, it’s made from the brand’s OBSF mashbill featuring 35% rye). The dram exhibits notes of vanilla, apricot and mint on the nose, leading to a palate of cherry, honey, dark chocolate and oak.

White Four Roses Anthology aged 21 years box placed among old hardcover books on a wooden shelf. — The whiskey’s exterior packaging is designed to look like a book.

Hand with a black ring holding an open book with embossed floral patterns and printed text. — Warning: This book might make your vision blurry.

The bottle packaging is also one of the most ambitious put together by the brand. Made to look like a book, the box pulls apart to unveil the whiskey itself. At the bottom of the case, there’s a small drawer with an undisclosed piece of wood inside.

Availability and pricing

Limited to just 1,200 bottles, Anthology Chapter One: Origin will be available directly from the Four Roses distillery visitor’s center on July 10. Again, the price will be $500 but that will surely go up on the secondary market.

Anthology Chapter Two arrives in 2027.

Tall rectangular bottle of Four Roses Anthology 21-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with a wooden cap.

Four Roses Anthology Chapter One: Origin 21 Year

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About the Author: Ethan Brehm is an associate editor at Gear Patrol writing about footwear, watches, spirits, EDC and more. When he’s not shopping for his next G-Shock, he spends his time watching movies and planning a future road trip with his family. He firmly believes CDs sound better than vinyl.

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