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Four Roses Small Batch vs Penelope Rio
Four Roses Small Batch and Penelope Rio sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a blender-built, classically built bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 98 proof (49% ABV) +8 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$32 – $38 ~$55 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- 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.
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
oak 5/4 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
fruit 7/6 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- 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.
- Penelope Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
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 Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).