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Four Roses Small Batch vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Comparing Four Roses Small Batch and Maker’s Mark Cask Strength reveals a matchup between a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple and an uncut, wheated heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| 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) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$32 – $38 ~$10 less | ~$40 – $50 |
- 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 Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
spice 6/3 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
heat 4/7 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
fruit 7/5 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
oak 5/5 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- 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 Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
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 Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).