Ova Haney
Ova Oliver “Ovie” Jr. Haney was born in West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky, on September 8, 1935. His parents were Ova Ollie Haney and Irma (Wicker) Haney.
Ova’s father was an educator and insisted that his son get an education as well. So Ovie went to the University of Kentucky, majoring in zoology. Upon graduating in 1961, he had planned to work in sales for a large pharmaceutical company, but while waiting for the right opportunity to come available, he opted to hire on at the Seagram’s Atherton Distillery, which was just a few minutes down the road from his home. The plan was for the position to be temporary; however, Ovie came to enjoy his position and his team at Seagram’s and never left.
The distillery would have its challenges over the years, and after 23 years of career ladder growth, the role of Master Distiller was given to Haney after the retirement of Charles Beam in 1984. The bourbon industry was in a tailspin throughout Haney’s first year, but Haney would not let these challenges derail the Four Roses brand.
Haney today is remembered for restoring the beauty of the Four Roses distillery to its glory days. After years of neglect by Seagram’s, Haney was determined to restore the appearance of a nearly 80-year-old infrastructure. After successfully gaining approval for the costs of renovation, improvements would begin and include upgrades to the dust collection system, exterior grain silos, the addition of a mill building, and replacing the roofing shingles with Spanish-style theme.
The mid-80s continued to prove difficult for Four Roses, as it did for the bourbon industry in general throughout the United States. Seagram’s would foolishly go on to sell its Benchmark Bourbon and Eagle Rare brands to the Sazerac Company in 1989. This would prove to be a turning point for Four Roses heading into the early 90s, the distillery would begin to see exponential growth in their overseas markets in both Japan and Europe. The financial growth from overseas popularity would spark renewed interest in building the brand back home as well. A team including Haney, Senior Brand Ambassador Al Young, Operations Leader Jim Rutledge, and Distillery Key Supervisor Mike Bullock would begin strategizing a plan to promote branding for Four Roses in the United States, and even more importantly, in Kentucky. In the fall of 1994, the men would host an open house for the distillery in conjunction with the Kentucky Bourbon Fest located in Bardstown, KY. The open house provided the spark and excitement to renew the brand back home.
In the mid-90s, Ova Haney convinced Seagram’s to bring a single-barrel offering to market. Shortly after, in 1996, Haney would retire, handing the reins over to Jim Rutledge, the brand’s sixth Master Distiller. Haney, seeing the rapid growth in technological advances throughout the industry, wisely decided it was time for someone younger to be at the helm and lead the company into the future.
Haney would continue participating in the “Four Roses Bourbon Forum”, which consisted of marketing and industry professionals convening at the distillery from across the globe as an ambassador for the brand, but also to discuss and exchange ideas on the state of the industry.
Outside the distilling industry, Haney enjoyed spending time with family, working in the garden, and an occasional round of golf. He also loved fishing and hunting deer, turkey, doves, and other wildlife.
In February 2002, Seagram’s would go on to sell the Four Roses brand to Japan-based Kirin Holdings. Just three months later, on May 5, 2002, Ova Haney would lose his fight with cancer in Lexington, Kentucky. Ova and wife Melva were blessed with two daughters, Gretchen and Karen.
