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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Four Roses Small Batch Select and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an undiluted barrel-strength pour.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Elijah Craig Barrel Proof |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 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) | 124 proof (62% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $65 ~$25 less | ~$70 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- 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.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 8/4 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 4 out of 10
oak 6/9 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 9 out of 10
heat 6/9 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 9 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 4 out of 10
spice 7/7 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Fruit character is what sets these apart.
- 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.
- Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: The uncut, unfiltered version of the same 12-year Heaven Hill juice, and the intensity is the whole point. Thick fudge and char with cinnamon heat, a genuinely long finish, and enough proof that water meaningfully changes the glass.
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 lower price point.
- Go with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof if you want maximum intensity and oak depth, and you want to control the dilution yourself with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof).