The Release

Four Roses Distillery will put approximately 16,800 bottles of its 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon on sale October 10 at a suggested retail price of $249, marking the 19th consecutive annual edition of one of Kentucky's most closely watched limited bourbon drops. The release will be available at select retailers nationwide and at the distillery's Lawrenceburg, Ky., visitor center, while supplies last.

Blend Specs

Bottled at barrel strength — 109.2 proof — and non-chill filtered, this year's release draws from four hand-selected batches spanning 14 to 23 years of age. The blend pulls from three of Four Roses' 10 distinct bourbon recipes: a 14-year-old OBSK, a 14-year-old OESK, a 15-year-old OESV, and a 23-year-old OESK. That combination of mashbill and yeast-strain variation — the structural engine behind Four Roses' portfolio — is what the distillery credits for the depth achievable at relatively constrained volumes.

For context, Four Roses operates with two mashbills and five proprietary yeast strains, producing 10 distinct recipes that each carry a unique flavor signature. The annual Limited Edition Small Batch format lets the brand showcase ultra-aged expressions that fall outside its year-round lineup, and the recipe-coded transparency has made each release a reference point for collectors tracking provenance in the super-premium bourbon segment.

Market Positioning

At $249 per bottle, the 2026 edition sits firmly in the allocated super-premium tier that has proven resilient even as the broader American whiskey category faces softening volume trends. The 16,800-bottle print is consistent with the scarcity economics that have sustained secondary-market premiums on prior Four Roses limited releases, though the distillery sells only through authorized retail channels and its own visitor center at the stated SRP.

Brent Elliott, Four Roses Master Distiller, framed the release as a return to craft fundamentals after a year the distillery described as exploratory. "This year's release brings together four exceptional batches, each over a decade in age, showcasing just how much depth and character we can create from the recipes that make Four Roses so unique," Elliott said.

The allocated limited-edition model remains a significant revenue and brand-equity lever for Kentucky distilleries competing in the premiumization race. Operators and on-premise buyers tracking allocated bourbon inventory should note the October 10 availability date; demand for aged, barrel-strength releases at this price point typically exhausts retail allocations within days of arrival. For broader analysis of premium spirits pricing dynamics, see our coverage of bourbon market trends and limited-release spirits strategy.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.