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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Eagle Rare 12 Year
Put Four Roses Small Batch Select next to Eagle Rare 12 Year and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a classic, corn-forward stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Eagle Rare 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 12 years +6 yr |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +9 proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $65 ~$5 less | ~$50 – $80 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Four Roses Small Batch Select
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Eagle Rare 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 7/5 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10
fruit 8/6 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10
oak 6/7 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Four Roses Small Batch Select: Six recipes, non-chill-filtered, at 104 proof, and the most complete thing Four Roses makes at a normal price. The house fruit character with enough proof and texture to carry it.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Four Roses Small Batch Select if you want the fullest expression of the Four Roses fruit-forward style without chasing an allocated bottle at a slightly lower price point.
- Go with Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year).