Four Roses Small Batch Select Review/Tasting Notes

Master Distiller Brent Elliott selected and mingled six of Four Roses’ 10 Bourbon recipes, aged at least 6 years, to handcraft Small Batch Select. Non-chill filtered and 104 proof, 52% alcohol/volume.

For reference, the six Small Batch Select recipes used in this bottle are the high- and low-rye mash bills of the K, V, and F yeast strains.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The nose opens to loads of vanilla and warm baking spices. The tannins also come out strongly, with notes of cedar cigar boxes and charred oak wood. Some terrific fruit notes include ripe oranges, fresh-cut Red Delicious apples, and rose petals.

Palate: There is plenty of toffee mixed with various tree nuts. Cinnamon-spiced pears and a little bit of sweet cherries follow. There is a slight black pepper burn and some honey to thicken things up. The mouthfeel is rich and thick, which makes it truly enjoyable.

Finish: A sweet and long-lasting finish of light brown sugar, apricots, and intense rye spices like cloves and sweet mint.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this bourbon. If you're a Four Roses fan, you'll appreciate the extra proof and non-chill filtering offered by Small Batch Select. And if you're relatively new to bourbon and want to expand into a bit higher proof and richer profile without breaking the bank, it's a more solid choice.

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