Compare
Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Maker’s Mark 46
Four Roses Small Batch Select and Maker’s Mark 46 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Maker’s Mark 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +10 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $65 | ~$38 – $45 ~$19 less |
- 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.
Maker’s Mark 46
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Maker’s Mark 46
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 8/4 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
spice 7/4 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 8 out of 10
heat 6/4 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
oak 6/7 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 3 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.
- Maker’s Mark 46: Finished with seared French oak staves inside the barrel, which adds the spice and wood that the standard bottling deliberately lacks. The most useful upgrade in the Maker's range.
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 more proof behind it.
- Go with Maker’s Mark 46 if you want the softness of Maker's Mark with real oak and spice layered over it at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Maker’s Mark 46).