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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Put Four Roses Small Batch Select next to Russell’s Reserve 15 Year and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a full-proof, unfiltered heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Russell’s Reserve 15 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 15 years +9 yr |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) | 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) +13 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $65 ~$265 less | ~$250 – $400 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Russell’s 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.
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
One of my favorites.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 6/9 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 8/6 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
heat 6/7 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year: The oldest regular Russell's Reserve, at barrel proof. Fifteen years in Camp Nelson rickhouses push it toward old oak, leather and dried fruit over the usual Turkey spice.
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 Russell’s Reserve 15 Year if you want a very old, oak-heavy Wild Turkey for slow sipping with more proof behind it and with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat (Russell’s Reserve 15 Year).