Four Roses Experimental Series No. 001 Mizunara Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon 375ml 104 Proof

Experiment No. 001 — the first release in Four Roses' Experimental Series and the first cask-finished bourbon in the distillery's history, built on the OBSK recipe and finished in Japanese Mizunara oak at 104 proof.

Four Roses has spent its modern history on a single idea: ten recipes from two mashbills and five yeast strains, blended or bottled individually, always matured in new charred American oak. Secondary cask finishing was never part of it. No. 001 is the distillery breaking its own pattern for the first time.

Master Distiller Brent Elliott worked through combinations of recipe, yeast, barrel specification, toast and char before settling on OBSK finished in Mizunara. OBSK pairs the high-rye B mashbill with the K yeast strain, which Four Roses characterises as slight spice — a deliberately spice-forward base rather than a soft one.

Mizunara is the reason this is difficult. Japanese oak is porous, prone to leaking, and has to be air-dried for years before a cooper can work it, which is why so little whiskey is finished in it. What it contributes is aromatic rather than sweet — incense, sandalwood, a particular coconut-adjacent character that no American oak produces.

Released 30 July 2026 at the Four Roses visitor centres in Kentucky, at an original MSRP of $55.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Rich spiced vanilla and aromatic oak with baking spice, fruit and subtle exotic wood.
• Palate: Rounded and soft against the OBSK recipe's spice, with the Mizunara character sitting over the top rather than replacing it.
• Finish: Lingering Mizunara influence, warm spice and oak.

Specs

• Distillery: Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
• Series: Four Roses Experimental Series
• Release: Experiment No. 001
• Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Mizunara casks
• Recipe: OBSK (high-rye mashbill; K yeast)
• Age: 6 years
• Finish: Japanese Mizunara oak
• Proof: 104 (52% ABV)
• Master Distiller: Brent Elliott
• Released: 30 July 2026
• Size: 375ml

Explore the full Four Roses collection or browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is this really the first Four Roses cask finish? Yes — that's what makes it significant beyond the liquid. Four Roses built its identity on ten recipes matured in new charred oak, with no secondary maturation anywhere in the range. Experiment No. 001 is the first time the distillery has finished bourbon in another cask type.
• What does Mizunara oak contribute? Aroma rather than sweetness. Japanese Mizunara is known for incense, sandalwood and a distinctive coconut-adjacent note that American oak doesn't produce. It's also notoriously difficult to work with — porous, prone to leaking, and requiring years of air-drying — which is why so few whiskeys use it.
• What does OBSK mean? O = Four Roses distillery, B = the high-rye mashbill (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley), S = straight whiskey, K = the slight-spice yeast strain. Choosing a spice-forward recipe for a Mizunara finish gives the aromatic oak something with structure to sit against.