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Four Roses Small Batch vs Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
Four Roses Small Batch and Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% 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 ~$28 less | ~$55 – $70 |
| 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.
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/8 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 8 out of 10
fruit 7/4 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 4 out of 10
heat 4/7 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 7 out of 10
spice 6/8 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 8 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel: Non-chill-filtered single barrels at 110 proof, and the format that store picks have made a cult of. Concentrated Wild Turkey character with a texture the standard bottlings do not have.
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 lower price point.
- Go with Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel if you want concentrated Wild Turkey character with single-barrel variation and real texture with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, old-fashioned (Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel).