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Four Roses Small Batch vs Maker’s Mark 46
Four Roses Small Batch and Maker’s Mark 46 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | Maker’s Mark 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 94 proof (47% ABV) +4 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$32 – $38 ~$7 less | ~$38 – $45 |
- 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.
Maker’s Mark 46
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Maker’s Mark 46
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 7/4 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 8 out of 10
spice 6/4 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
oak 5/7 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 7 out of 10
heat 4/4 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark 46 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- 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.
- Maker’s Mark 46: Finished with seared French oak staves inside the barrel, which adds the spice and wood that the standard bottling deliberately lacks. The most useful upgrade in the Maker's range.
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 slightly lower price point.
- Go with Maker’s Mark 46 if you want the softness of Maker's Mark with real oak and spice layered over it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Maker’s Mark 46).