Four Roses distils at Lawrenceburg, Kentucky from two mash bills — OB at 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley, and OE at 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley — fermented with five proprietary yeast strains, giving ten distinct bourbons. Each is named by a four-letter code: O for the distillery's Old Prentice origin, B or E for the mash bill, S for straight whiskey, and a final letter for the yeast, where V is the delicate-fruit strain and K the baking-spice strain. Maturation happens in single-storey rack warehouses, which hold a narrower temperature range than tall multi-storey warehouses and let barrels reach 20 years and beyond without collapsing into oak — the condition that made a 25-year-old component usable at all. For each annual release Brent Elliott works from batches held back at over ten years old, assembling and bottling at natural barrel strength. For this one he balanced three batches first and then chose the fourth as a dressing, at 5%.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

What is the oldest bourbon in the Four Roses 135th Anniversary?

The blend carries a 25-year-old OBSV, which Four Roses states is the oldest bourbon it has ever put into one of its annual Small Batch releases. It accounts for 5% of the blend: Brent Elliott settled the 12-, 14- and 16-year-old batches first, then selected the 25-year-old as a fourth component to add depth. The remaining 95% comes from batches aged 12 to 16 years.

What proof is the Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch?

Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch (2023 Release) is bottled at 108 proof, or 54% ABV, at barrel strength. That is a moderate figure by barrel-proof standards — Four Roses assembles for balance rather than for a headline number, and 108 proof is the natural strength of the batch rather than a proofed-down house target. The bottle Midnight Whiskey stocks is the 700 ml export format, and its label reads 54.0%.

How is the Four Roses 135th Anniversary different from the 2024 release?

The 135th Anniversary is the 2023 edition, assembled from four batches across three recipes — 40% a 14-year-old OESK, 35% a 12-year-old OESV, 20% a 16-year-old OESV and 5% a 25-year-old OBSV — and bottled at 108 proof. The 2024 Four Roses annual release is a different blend at 108.2 proof, spanning 12 to 20 years, with a 20-year-old OBSV as its oldest component. The 25-year-old in the 2023 blend is still the oldest bourbon Four Roses has used in the series, which is what the anniversary bottling is remembered for.