Compare
Four Roses Small Batch vs Maker's Mark
Comparing Four Roses Small Batch and Maker's Mark reveals a matchup between a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple and a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | Maker's Mark |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$32 – $38 | ~$25 – $32 ~$7 less |
- 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
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Maker's Mark
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/2 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 2 out of 10
fruit 7/4 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Maker's Mark 8 out of 10
oak 5/4 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Maker's Mark 4 out of 10
heat 4/3 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Maker's Mark 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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: The bottle that made wheated bourbon mainstream. Soft, sweet, and deliberately low on spice and oak, with baked bread and honey doing most of the work. Consistency is its real feature.
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.
- Go with Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark).