Compare
Maker's Mark vs Four Roses Small Batch
Comparing Maker's Mark and Four Roses Small Batch reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Four Roses Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$7 less | ~$32 – $38 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Four Roses Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Four Roses Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/6 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10
fruit 4/7 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10
oak 4/5 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10
heat 3/4 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- Go with Four Roses Small Batch if you want a fruit-and-floral profile that stands apart from the usual caramel-and-oak template.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch).