USA · KENTUCKY · STRAIGHT BOURBON REVIEW
Four Roses Small Batch Select
The Sweet Spot of the Ten.
Six of the famous ten recipes, non-chill-filtered at 104 proof — and still about sixty dollars.
The best everyday expression of Four Roses' ten-recipe system: six recipes mingled by master distiller Brent Elliott, bottled non-chill-filtered at 104 proof. Creamy caramel, red berry and baking spice — a core bottle that sips neat and stands up in a cocktail.
Buy Online $60 Read the full review →
Official site · fourrosesbourbon.com
THE DECISION | FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT
The premium everyday bourbon with no hunt required.
Small Batch Select is the sweet spot in the Four Roses range: higher proof, richer texture and enough recipe complexity to sip neat, while still being easy to find around $60.
I Origin
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT — STORY & ORIGIN
Ten recipes, six chosen, one bottle.
Four Roses works out of a 1910 Spanish Mission–style distillery near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and does something no other bourbon house does: two mash bills crossed with five proprietary yeast strains, yielding ten distinct recipes to blend from.
Small Batch Select arrived in 2019 — the brand's first new permanent expression in twelve years — created by master distiller Brent Elliott. It mingles six of the ten recipes, bumps the proof to 104, and skips chill filtration for a fuller, velvety texture.
In April 2026, E. & J. Gallo completed its $775M acquisition of Four Roses from Japan's Kirin — returning the brand to American family ownership for the first time in 83 years. Elliott and his team stay on.
HOW IT'S MADE — IN FIVE STEPS
TWO MASH BILLS
High-rye B (60/35/5) and lower-rye E (75/20/5).
FIVE YEAST STRAINS
V for fruit, K for spice, F for herbs — chosen here.
SIX RECIPES MINGLED
OBSV · OBSK · OBSF · OESV · OESK · OESF.
SINGLE-STORY WAREHOUSES
Gentler, more even Kentucky maturation.
NCF AT 104 PROOF
Non-chill-filtered, natural color, velvet weight.
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT SPECS · AT A GLANCE
Everything, on one label.
Verified by our editors
| COUNTRY | United States (Kentucky) |
|---|---|
| DISTILLERY | Four Roses |
| WHISKEY | Kentucky Straight Bourbon |
| NAME | Small Batch Select |
| MASH BILL | Two bills · B 60/35/5 + E 75/20/5 |
| RECIPES | OBSV·OBSK·OBSF·OESV·OESK·OESF |
| AGE | 6–7 years |
|---|---|
| ABV | 52% · 104 proof |
| CASK | New charred American oak |
| FILTRATION | Non-chill-filtered · natural color |
| SERVE | Neat · few drops of water |
| RELEASE | Core range · since 2019 |
II On the Palate
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT TASTING NOTES — NOSE · PALATE · FINISH
Velvet first, spice after.
Red berries, vanilla and baking spice on the nose; a creamy, non-chill-filtered palate of caramel and warm spice; a long, drying finish with a chocolate-mint note that water coaxes forward.
I · NOSE
Red berry & vanilla
Bright fruit leads — red berries, maraschino cherry and brown sugar — with orange peel, cinnamon and clove; mint arrives with air.
CARAMEL · RED BERRY · BAKING SPICE
ON THE NOSE9.1
II · PALATE
Velvety & spiced
Creamy, full non-chill-filtered weight over caramel, vanilla and toasty baking spice — runs warm neat.
VELVETY · CARAMEL · WARM SPICE
ON THE PALATE9.2
III · FINISH
Long & drying
Extra-long and drying, with lingering vanilla and baking spice — water coaxes out chocolate-mint.
LONG · DRYING · CHOCOLATE-MINT
ON THE FINISH8.9
EDITORIAL TRUST
Clear value, high availability, low drama.
The score rewards balance and shelf reliability as much as flavor. This is the Four Roses bottle most drinkers can actually buy, pour, and keep replacing.
UPDATED JULY 2026
SCORE
91 / 100
Weighted for flavor, value, availability and category fit.
PRICE
TYPICAL SHELF $55-$65 | CORE RANGE | JULY 2026
Price language separates verified offers from normal shelf range.
BUY IF
EVERYDAY PREMIUM
This is the clearest buyer match for the bottle.
CAUTION
NOT CASK STRENGTH
The main reason a good drinker may pass.
III Is It For You?
WHO IS FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT FOR?
Who it's for — and who it isn't.
AN HONEST READ
FOR YOU — You'll love it if…
You want a reliable, always-in-stock premium bourbon under $65
You like higher-proof, non-chill-filtered texture
Caramel, red fruit and baking spice are your lane
You're curious about the ten-recipe system
You want one bottle that sips, rocks and mixes
You value consistency over the allocation chase
NOT FOR YOU — Look elsewhere if…
You want cask-strength intensity
104 proof runs hot for you and you won't add water
You want an age statement on the label
You prefer the softer 90-proof standard Small Batch
You're chasing rare unicorn bottles for prestige
You dislike drying, spice-forward finishes
IV How to Drink It
HOW TO DRINK FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT
“Four Roses Small Batch Select, neat.”
At 104 proof, ask for a few drops of water or a big cube if you run hot — water opens it rather than washing it out. And yes, you may mix it: this is the rare bottle good enough to sip, priced to mix.
NEAT FIRST
The non-chill-filtered body carries flavor at full proof — give it a few minutes.
A FEW DROPS
Water expands the chocolate, mint, caramel and vanilla.
BUILD A COCKTAIL
104 proof holds up in an Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Boulevardier better than the 90-proof sibling.
THE SERVE
FIG. 02 — THE SERVE, DRESSED FOR THE EVENING
Neat first. Cocktails encouraged.
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT VS THE FIELD
A richer core bottle, not a collector flex.
Use this table when deciding whether to stay inside Four Roses, trade down for value, or step up to barrel proof.
| BOTTLE | SCORE | PRICE | WHEN TO CHOOSE IT |
|---|---|---|---|
Four Roses Small Batch Select Kentucky bourbon |
91 | $55-$65 | Choose it for the best balance of fruit, spice, proof and shelf availability. |
Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky bourbon |
90 | ~$50 | More focused and recipe-specific; less plush than Small Batch Select. |
Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky bourbon |
88 | $35-$40 | The softer, cheaper Four Roses option for casual pours and cocktails. |
Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky bourbon |
89 | $23-$29 | Better value and cocktail muscle, but rougher around the edges. |
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel-proof bourbon |
91 | $50-$61 | Step up when you want proof and power over polish. |
V Where to Find It
Where to buy Four Roses Small Batch Select — or try a pour first.
PRICES CHECKED · JULY 2026
ReserveBar PREFERRED RETAILER
2-HOUR DELIVERY IN SELECT STATES · SHIPS WHERE LEGAL
IN-STORE PICKUP + DELIVERY WHERE LEGAL
REWARDS DISCOUNT · SHIPS TO ~40 STATES
Pours and bottle prices vary by venue and change often — call ahead. We may earn a commission on retail-partner links.
VI Ask Forge
ASK FORGE · YOUR WHISKEY GUIDE
Not sure it's your pour?
Forge is your whiskey guide. Tell him what you usually drink and whether you want smooth, bold, fruity, sweet or spicy — he'll tell you if Four Roses Small Batch Select is the right pour, or point you to a better fit.
Compares it to bottles you already love
Finds a similar profile at a lower price
Learns your taste as you chat
Forge
WHISKEY SPECIALIST · AI
Small Batch or Small Batch Select — worth the extra $20?
Select, if you sip: six recipes, 104 proof and no chill filtration give it a velvet weight the 90-proof Small Batch can't match. Strictly mixing weeknight highballs? Save the $20 — or split the difference with Single Barrel.
Ask Forge about Small Batch Select…
VERDICT · FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT REVIEW
The sweet spot of the core range.
Velvety, spice-forward and reliably on the shelf — six recipes at 104 proof, non-chill-filtered, around sixty dollars. Not a showstopper by design: it's the everyday-premium bourbon the rest of the shelf gets judged against, and the rare bottle that earns its place neat or in a Manhattan.
VELVETY & SPICEDSIPS AND MIXESNO ALLOCATION DRAMA
Buy Online $60 Our score — 91 / 100
COMMUNITY PULSE
Readers like that it feels special without becoming precious.
90 / 100
READER AVG
WHAT READERS AGREE ON
The consensus is practical: Small Batch Select tastes premium enough for a neat pour but stays available enough to be an actual house bottle.
SHELF HEROReliable upgrade
It has the richness I wanted from Four Roses without turning into a bottle hunt.
Best at the right price
At $58 it is a no-brainer. Above $70 I start looking at Rare Breed.
Works both ways
Neat it has fruit and spice; in an Old Fashioned it still shows up.
KEEP EXPLORING · FOUR ROSES
Continue into the ten.
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH SELECT · FAQ
Questions, answered.
Six things drinkers most often ask us about Small Batch Select at the bar.
ANSWERED BY EVERETT BOONE · THE AMERICAN SEAT
i. Is Four Roses Small Batch Select worth it?
Yes — it's widely seen as a strong value near $60: higher proof, six recipes and non-chill-filtered texture over the standard Small Batch, at a stable core-range price with no allocation markup.
ii. Small Batch vs Small Batch Select — what's the difference?
Select mingles six recipes (vs four), is bottled at 104 proof (vs 90) and skips chill filtration. It's richer and weightier; the standard is softer, fruitier and cheaper. Select is the trade-up.
iii. What recipes are in it?
Six of Four Roses' ten: OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK and OESF — the V (fruit), K (spice) and F (herbal) yeast strains across both the high-rye B and lower-rye E mash bills.
iv. Is it non-chill-filtered?
Yes — the only non-chill-filtered bottle in the Four Roses core lineup, which is where the velvety mouthfeel comes from, especially at 104 proof.
v. Can you mix with it, or only sip?
Both. Excellent neat with a few drops of water, and the 104 proof makes it a standout in an Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Boulevardier — better in cocktails than the 90-proof Small Batch.
vi. Is it hard to find?
No — it's a permanent core release with wide national distribution. If your shop carries Four Roses, they very likely have it, at shelf price.