Four Roses Small Batch blends four of the distillery's ten distinct bourbon recipes, bottled at 45% ABV, NAS but typically 6 to 8 years old. The Four Roses house style is built on a high-rye-but-floral profile: pear, apricot, rose petal, honey, a gentle baking spice, more elegant and fruity than the oak-and-caramel of a Knob Creek or the brash spice of a Wild Turkey. It is the bourbon that bourbon people recommend to people who think they don't like bourbon.
For £30 to £40 it is one of the most balanced, easy-drinking, characterful bourbons available. The Small Batch Select (104 proof) and Single Barrel are the upgrades, but the standard Small Batch is a genuinely good everyday bottle that punches above its price.
Buy this if you want a smooth, floral, fruity, balanced bourbon. Skip it only if you specifically want big oak or big spice. The right price is £30 to £40. Genuinely good value.
- vs Wild Turkey 101: smoother and more floral; WT is brasher and spicier
- vs Knob Creek 9: less oak, more fruit; KC is the bold woody one
- vs Maker's Mark: more complex and floral; Maker's is the soft sweet one
Positive on both axes, a credible recommendation.
- plusThe smoothest, most balanced everyday bourbon. Converts the bourbon-sceptical.
- plusThe floral, fruity Four Roses house style is genuinely distinctive.
- plusExcellent value at £30 to £40. Punches well above its price.
- caveatIf you specifically want big oak or big rye spice, this is too gentle.
- caveatNAS young spirit. The Single Barrel and Small Batch Select have more depth.
- caveatLess widely available in the UK than the bigger brands.
- flagFour Roses was nearly killed by its previous owner (Seagram), sold only in the US as a cheap blended product, and rebuilt by Kirin after 2002. The current quality is a redemption story; the brand still carries some legacy confusion.
- flagKirin pricing has drifted up as the brand's reputation has grown. Still good value, but not the steal it was a decade ago.