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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Put Four Roses Small Batch Select next to Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a classic, high-wheat stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 6 years | 15 years +9 yr |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) +3 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $65 ~$1060 less | ~$240 – $2000 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 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.
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 7/3 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10
fruit 8/6 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 4 out of 10
heat 6/6 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 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.
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year: Fifteen-year wheated bourbon from the Van Winkle line, made at Buffalo Trace. Rich toffee, leather and dried fruit with the oak well blended in.
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 significantly lower price point.
- Go with Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year if you want a famously hard-to-find, rich, 15-year wheater with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat (Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year).