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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Comparing Four Roses Small Batch Select and Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond reveals a matchup between a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple and a modern, wheated craft expression.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 6 years |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +4 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $65 | ~$45 – $60 ~$8 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.
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 7/3 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10
fruit 8/6 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10
oak 6/5 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 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.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
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.
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond).