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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Put Four Roses Small Batch Select next to Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against an uncut, high-wheat heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| 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) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $65 | ~$40 – $50 ~$15 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 Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 7/3 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
fruit 8/5 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
oak 6/5 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
heat 6/7 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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 Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
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 Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).