Interview with Jim Rutledge, December 16, 2013

Interview Summary

Jim Rutledge is Master Distiller at Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. In this interview he discusses his career path and how he became a Master Distiller. He talks about his desire to introduce Four Roses bourbon in the United States and the challenge of overcoming the bad reputation of Four Roses blended whiskey. He talks about what makes Four Roses bourbon different from other bourbons and talks about it's success in various competitions. He talks about the camaraderie of the bourbon industry and how he feels about the fame of Master Distillers in the industry. He talks about Kentucky as the home of bourbon and how bourbon making is both a science and an art. He talks about how successful the bourbon industry has become.

Interview Keyword

Bourbon Industry Distilleries--Kentucky Distillers. Four Roses Kentucky (bourbon) Kirin B?ru Kabushiki Kaisha Seagram Company Whiskey industry--Kentucky Whiskey. whisky whiskey

Interview LC Subject

Bourbon whiskey

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.