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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Knob Creek 9 Year
Four Roses Small Batch Select and Knob Creek 9 Year are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$55 – $65 vs. ~$35 – $40).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Knob Creek 9 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 9 years +3 yr |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +4 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $65 | ~$35 – $40 ~$23 less |
- Knob Creek 9 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.
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Knob Creek 9 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 8/3 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- 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.
- Knob Creek 9 Year: This classic Jim Beam offering leans heavily into traditional oak, rich caramel, vanilla, and the signature Beam peanut-funk nuttiness. At 100 proof it delivers a bolder, more structural wood-and-spice influence with a touch of citrus zest and mint on the 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 with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).