Four Roses Distillery has announced Experimental Series No. 003: Chestnut, a limited-edition bourbon finished in barrels made from Japanese chestnut wood. The Kentucky producer will sell the 375ml expression at its Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek visitor centers from November 20.
This bottling is the third in the distillery’s Experimental Series. Earlier releases used Mizunara and honey-seasoned casks. No. 002 was finished in casks that previously held Four Roses Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey.
The series opened with No. 001 in June. That release was the first time Four Roses will sell a bourbon that underwent secondary cask maturation.
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READ THE STORYFor the new release, the team began with trials. These tested how different wood species worked with each of Four Roses’ 10 bourbon recipes. Chestnut stood out early on, so the distillery expanded its tests. It then chose its six-year-old OBSK recipe for the final liquid and finished it in 250-liter chestnut barrels.
“To me, what makes this release so interesting is how chestnut wood can enhance and highlight the flavors of a bourbon,” said master distiller Brent Elliott. “We explored a number of different wood types in our initial trials, and chestnut stood out for the unique character it brought to the spirit.”
He continued: “The OBSK recipe had the complexity and spice we were looking for to complement those flavors, creating a bourbon that feels familiar in its foundation but offers new, distinct flavors in the glass.”
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To make the whiskey, the team moved mature bourbon into chestnut barrels with a range of toast and char levels. Staff sampled each barrel often and emptied each one on its own once it reached the target flavor.
The bourbon is bottled at 104 proof (52% ABV). According to the official notes from the brand, the nose shows rich apricot and soft vanilla.
On the palate, the brand lists vanilla bean, pear and ripe cherry, with toasted wood and baking spice. The finish brings delicate fruit and brown sugar.
Each bottle costs $55 (£41 / ₹5,230).
Elliott previously called the series “an exciting new chapter for us”. Four Roses has confirmed that the first three releases will explore different cask finishes. Later experiments will move beyond finishing into other aspects of whiskey production.
Founded in 1888, Four Roses combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains. More details are available on the Experimental Series page.
