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Four Roses Single Barrel vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Comparing Four Roses Single Barrel and Maker’s Mark Cask Strength reveals a matchup between a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple and an uncut, wheated heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Single Barrel | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $55 | ~$40 – $50 ~$5 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Four Roses Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Single Barrel Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/3 spice: Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
fruit 7/5 fruit: Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
oak 6/5 oak: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
heat 6/7 heat: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Four Roses Single Barrel: The OBSV recipe on its own at 100 proof — the highest-rye mash Four Roses uses, paired with their most floral yeast. Cherry and clove in equal measure, and a genuinely distinctive glass.
- Maker’s Mark Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Four Roses Single Barrel if you want the most expressive, spice-and-fruit-forward single recipe in the Four Roses range.
- Go with Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).