Q&A: Jim Rutledge, Four Roses Master Distiller
- Mar 22, 2015
- 4 min read
Hi Jim, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. So, let's talk bourbon. What was it about bourbon that won you over? Was it love at first sip?
No, it was not love at first sip. In fact, I probably thought I was going to choke to death when I first took a sip of Bourbon, as a teenager. I started working in Seagram’s Research and Development department in November 1966, which was located in Louisville, KY at that time. I later worked in nearly every area of production operations for about 10 years – including 2 stints as a distillery shift supervisor. In December 1977 I was transferred to Seagram’s corporate headquarters in New York City, and I spent nearly 15 years in NY. At performance reviews every year I always requested that if a position in distillery operations ever opened up I would appreciate being considered as a candidate. I was fortunate enough to be transferred back to Kentucky in 1992 and I became Master Distiller in 1995. I always enjoyed Bourbon, but it was after I returned to Kentucky that the quality of Bourbon Four Roses was making, and returning Four Roses Bourbon back home to the USA, became a burning passion. I’ve been living a dream come true ever since my return to Kentucky and the Four Roses Distillery.
You've been working with Four Roses for more than four decades now, what is it that has kept you there for so long?
I’ve enjoyed the beverage alcohol business since the day I walked through the security gates of Seagram’s Calvert Distillery in Louisville on November 14, 1966. I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have worked in so many areas of production operations and also in an administrative role – within the Manufacturing Division - while working in New York. In every area I’ve had the opportunity to work which gave me new opportunities and challenges to learn so much about every aspect of the business. The last 20 years as master distiller have been filled with challenges and many opportunities to grow Four Roses Bourbon both domestically and internationally. There’s never been a dull moment, and I’m still learning.
Last September was 10 years since the first release of your single barrel bourbon. How has the company and the bourbon progressed during that decade?
The introduction of our Single Barrel Bourbon in September 2004 commenced marketing opportunities for Four Roses Distillery’s efforts to return our Bourbons to the U.S. (Four Roses Bourbon had been sold in international markets only for 45 years.) The return to the U.S. has been absolutely amazing. Our case sales are skyrocketing in recent years and we’ve positioned our Bourbon very well in a competitive market. I believe the success of Four Roses Bourbon’s return to the U.S. is attributable to the quality, smoothness and mellowness of the Bourbon inside our bottles. We’ve used grass-roots marketing efforts to spread the word in the U.S. – allowing positive word-of-mouth evaluations and assessments of Four Roses Bourbon via mixologists, bartenders, restaurant and bar owners and managers, Bourbon connoisseur and enthusiast groups, Bourbon bloggers and loyal consumer - to grow Four Roses Bourbons. And, it has worked! Case sales, in the past several years in the U.S., have soared dramatically.
What has been the most memorable highlight, the biggest achievement, both personally and for the company?
The return of Four Roses Bourbon to the U.S.
And what has been the most difficult aspect?
After many years of effort – finally acquiring the 'opportunity' to reintroduce Four Roses Bourbon to the U.S.
Four Roses took a nosedive for a while, how did you manage to turn that around?
The Four Roses 'name' took a nosedive for a while, but that was attributable to Seagram’s Four Roses Blended Whiskey – which was produced outside Kentucky and had nothing to do with Four Roses Bourbon. Prior to returning Four Roses Bourbon to the U.S., we pulled the blended whiskey off the market for a couple years prior to introducing Four Roses Single Barrel. From that point forward we allowed the quality of our Bourbons to speak and subsequently grow. All this was done after Seagram went out of the beverage alcohol business in December 2001.
You are racking up a fair few awards now, does this add any additional pressure to the process? No - no additional pressures – just smiles!
So what does it take to create an award winning bourbon?
Do it right the First time, starting with the selection of premium grains used in the process, and every step thereafter. Make sure the distillate (white dog, high wine) is perfect going into the barrel and you don’t have to worry about what may, or may not, come out of the barrel after years of aging.
How do you know it's the right time to take from the barrel and decant into bottle to sell, other than it just tastes right?
We begin surveying our Bourbons at about 3 ½ years age and continue to do so until the time the barrels are assigned to one of our Bourbons, and ultimately dumped, processed and bottled. The status of barrel inventories, the target ages and target flavor profiles (tastes right) all play a role in the timing to dump (evacuate) a barrel for bottling.
How do you know that a further 6 months to a year, for example, wouldn't make the Bourbon better?
When it’s right, it’s right. You ask how we would know if the Bourbon wouldn’t get better with another 6 months of aging, conversely, how do we know it would be as good?
You are a born and raised a true southerner and Bourbon is such an important part of that southern heritage. But what do you think is it that has made it so paramount? People enjoy good whisk(e)y, and Kentucky Bourbon is homegrown and it tastes great!
Describe Four Roses in 3 words: Flavorful, smooth, mellow.
Final question: (and you’re not allowed to say straight Bourbon!) What’s your favourite cocktail? Bourbon with an ice cube is about the only way I mix a drink - or not.
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