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Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year vs Four Roses Small Batch Select
Put Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year next to Four Roses Small Batch Select and you have a classic, high-wheat stalwart set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year | Four Roses Small Batch Select |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 15 years +9 yr | 6 years |
| Proof | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) +3 proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$240 – $2000 | ~$55 – $65 ~$1060 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Four Roses Small Batch Select
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year Four Roses Small Batch Select
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/7 spice: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10
oak 8/6 oak: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10
fruit 6/8 fruit: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 4 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10
heat 6/6 heat: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year: Fifteen-year wheated bourbon from the Van Winkle line, made at Buffalo Trace. Rich toffee, leather and dried fruit with the oak well blended in.
- Four Roses Small Batch Select: Six recipes, non-chill-filtered, at 104 proof, and the most complete thing Four Roses makes at a normal price. The house fruit character with enough proof and texture to carry it.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year if you want a famously hard-to-find, rich, 15-year wheater with an older age statement.
- Go with Four Roses Small Batch Select if you want the fullest expression of the Four Roses fruit-forward style without chasing an allocated bottle at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year); neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select).