Review: Four Roses Anthology Chapter One: Origin 21 Years Old (2026)

Jonesing for ultra-ultra-premium whiskey? Four Roses is the latest to have you covered with a unicorn offering, the first in a new luxe series called Anthology. Anthology will be an annually released whiskey, a collection of rarities designed to “explore key chapters in the brand’s 138-year history. The inaugural release, Chapter One: Origin, is a 21-year-old OBSF bourbon and the oldest release in Four Roses history.”

Taking that further: “The first chapter is inspired by Four Roses’ founding story, when founder Paul Jones Jr. named the brand after his Southern belle accepted his marriage proposal by wearing a corsage of four red roses to a grand ball in 1888. The release pays tribute to the moment that inspired the brand and the themes of love and connection that continue to define Four Roses today.”

I don’t know who’ll be able to snap up one of the 1200 bottles (mainly at the Four Roses Visitor’s Center), but, well, let’s see how it tastes.

Four Roses Anthology Chapter One: Origin 21 Years Old (2026) Review

The nose promptly showcases the age of this whiskey. Austere and tannic, the rye-forward qualities of OBSF are amplified to the hilt here, bold with cloves and extra-dark chocolate. Time in glass takes this latter note and runs with it, turning coffee-like as it develops in a Glencairn. Gravelly and intense, there’s nothing subtle about the experience, as it wholly connotes the significant density to come.

Intense and quite wine-like on the tongue, the aromatic buildup is paid off immediately. Old and layered with wood, the charry-tarry bourbon unfolds with amazing austerity, evoking tobacco leaf, leather, and tar in quick succession. If there’s fruit left in the barrel, it fully evaporates before it hits the glass: This is 100% savory, though that doesn’t mean it’s without nuance. Elements of walnut (namely shell), black pepper, burnt grass, and lingering creosote all combine to create a, well, appropriately ancient but surprisingly immersive sip. It tastes extremely old, but as a famous Monty Python character might has said, not quite dead yet. The longer it sits in the glass and on the tongue, the more its latent life is revealed. Be patient.

Ultimately, a hint of molasses on the finish gives you the lightest respite from what can be a somewhat overwhelming experience. Maybe that touch of sweetness is all it took to get me to wonder if a second taste lies somewhere in my future. Probably not, alas.

102.6 proof.

A- / $500

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