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Four Roses Small Batch vs Blanton’s Single Barrel
Comparing Four Roses Small Batch and Blanton’s Single Barrel is a closer contest than it looks — both are high-rye bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$32 – $38 vs. ~$80 – $150).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | Blanton’s Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 93 proof (46.5% ABV) +3 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$32 – $38 ~$80 less | ~$80 – $150 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Blanton’s Single Barrel 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
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Blanton’s Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/6 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 7/6 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
heat 4/4 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land close together on every flavor axis — the differences are in texture and proof more than character.
- Four Roses Small Batch: Four Roses' yeast strains push this toward fruit and florals rather than wood. Red berry and cinnamon over a light body, with the rye showing up as brightness instead of bite.
- Blanton’s Single Barrel: The bottle that invented the single-barrel category and still trades largely on its horse-stopper cork and its scarcity. The whiskey itself is genuinely good — honeyed and citrus-led with nutmeg spice — but at secondary prices you are paying for the bottle as much as the pour.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Four Roses Small Batch if you want a fruit-and-floral profile that stands apart from the usual caramel-and-oak template at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Blanton’s Single Barrel if you want the original single-barrel presentation and a honeyed, citrus-led profile, and the hunt is part of the appeal.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, rocks (Blanton’s Single Barrel).