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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
On paper Four Roses Small Batch Select and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve are near neighbours — both high-rye bourbons — so proof (104 vs. 120) is what actually decides it.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 120 proof (60% ABV) +16 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $65 | ~$45 – $55 ~$10 less |
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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 Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 8/3 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
heat 6/8 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10
spice 7/7 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
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 Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve).