Although Louisville’s traditional Great Steamboat Race will not be taking place this year, Four Roses will still be honoring on land via celebratory Single Barrel Bourbon.
Four Roses has been celebrating the race for the last 15 years. The Great Steamboat Race, a unique event where the historic Belle of Louisville goes against the Belle of Cincinnati in a race down the Ohio river. Yearly, the brand joins with the Kentucky Derby Festival race participants to hand select special bourbons to serve on each of the boats.
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Despite unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, the “race” must go on! This year, Four Roses Master Distiller, Kentucky Derby President, Belle Captains, Kroger, and additional bourbon tasters selected the honorary 2020 Great Steamboat Race barrel online. Certainly special, and certainly the first time a barrel selection has been done virtually.
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“The Great Steamboat Race is a flagship event leading up to the Kentucky Derby,” said Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott. “Although we won’t be celebrating as we usually do onboard this year, I look forward to raising a glass and honoring this annual tradition leading up to the 146th Run for the Roses this September.”
– Kentucky Bourbon Trail
The bottle features a unique label on the side which celebrates the Great Steamboat Race. Bottled at 100 proof, and only available in limited quantities for purchase at select Louisville Kroger stores.
“The OBSV chosen for this year’s Great Steamboat Race offers robust, full-bodied flavor, with a long and smooth finish,” said Elliott.
– Kentucky Bourbon Trail
About Four Roses
Paul Jones, Jr., founder of Four Roses Bourbon, fell in love with a Southern belle. It is said that he sent a letter of marriage proposal to her , and she replied that if her answer were “Yes,” she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball. Paul Jones waited for her answer excitedly on that night of the grand ball…when she arrived in her beautiful gown, she wore a corsage of four red roses. He later named his Bourbon “Four Roses” as a symbol of his devout passion for the lovely belle, a passion he thereafter transferred to making his beloved Four Roses Bourbon.
Established in 1888, Four Roses combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to distill and age 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique flavor profile. With distilling and warehousing operations in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, respectively, Four Roses is dedicated to producing award-winning Bourbons with smooth and mellow tastes and finishes. Four Roses is available in all 50 states.
The Distillery is a Spanish Mission-style architecture building, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
