Kirin silent over Four Roses sale rumour
Japan-based Kirin Holdings has declined to comment on a report that it has put Kentucky Bourbon brand Four Roses up for sale.
A report by the Financial Times last week claims that Kirin is working with investment bank UBS to find a buyer for Four Roses Bourbon, with an alleged US$1 billion price tag.
Japanese drinks conglomerate Kirin Holdings said it had no statement to offer, while UBS has not responded to a request for comment.
The Tokyo-headquartered company owns the Kirin beer brand, Japanese whisky Fuji, and Australian gin Four Pillars. Kirin’s Australasian arm, Lion, purchased Four Pillars in 2023.
According to Kirin’s financial results for the first half of 2025, Four Roses reported ¥12.2 billon yen (US$79.9 million) in sales, a dip of 0.2% year on year. The group’s total alcoholic beverages division saw its revenue decline by 19.9% in the first six months of the year, with its Lion subsidiary reporting a 12.1% drop.
Founded in 1888, Four Roses was acquired by Kirin in 2002. The brand revealed a new look in 2023, its first redesign since 2006.
Four Roses plans to introduce a new set of single barrel whiskeys each year, cycling through its nine recipes to complement the flagship bottle.
The company operates a distillery and visitor centre in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and a bottling and warehouse facility in Nelson County.
The global whisky sector is facing significant challenges, including overproduction as demand softens, rising costs and tariffs, resulting in production pauses and job cuts. A recent report by the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) revealed that the number of US craft distilleries plunged by a quarter in the 12 months to August 2025.
Kentucky is the 10th biggest state for craft producers with 76 distilleries as of August 2025, but this was down from 104 in the same month last year, according to the ACSA.
The number of ageing barrels of Bourbon in Kentucky hit a record high of 16.1m in January 2025, with taxes on the casks soaring by 163% over the last five years.
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