Review #660 - Four Roses Small Batch Select
Four Roses combines 6 of their 10 bourbon recipes to create this Small Batch Select bourbon:
OBSV (delicate fruit and rye)
OBSK (rye and baking spice)
OBSF (delicate rye and mint)
OESV (delicate fruit and caramel)
OESK (baking spice)
OESF (light grain and mint)
So, we have all of the V, K, and F yeast strains with both the high and low rye mashbills - it looks like the brand is targeting a profile with a combination of baking spice, rye, and light fruits. The yeast strains that we're missing from this combination are the O and Q varieties, which would generally add rich fruit and floral notes, respectively.
There's no age statement on the bottle, but the Four Roses website says that this bourbon has been aged for 6 to 7 years. This bottle has 2 major improvements versus the regular 'Small Batch' bourbon: it's bottled at a higher strength of 52% ABV (104 proof), and it hasn't been chill filtered, either.
Four Roses Small Batch Select
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 45 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 52% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 2 years; bottles at 50% and 100% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: A bit soft and reserved at first, but light notes of vanilla and floral scents come forward; there's some subtle sweetness from caramel corn and dark cherry, and oak builds up over time. Brown sugar, black pepper, and wood spice arrive.
Palate: More oak up front, along with lots of darker sweet notes: raisin, raspberry jam, caramel. Cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves bring baking spice, and there's a subtle fig note in the background. The mouthfeel has a medium thickness.
Finish: Medium-long, with a combination of spicy/dry notes and syrupy sweetness. Cinnamon and clove are juxtaposed by molasses and jammy raspberries. The aftertaste brings a soft hint of tobacco.
Final Note: This is a nice bourbon - it has elements of fruit notes, baking spice, and a decent amount of oak influence at is opens up. It was more reserved on the nose, but the palate brings stronger flavors, especially a dark fruit profile and some nice spices. Overall, it doesn't taste too old, but there is this nice tobacco flavor in the finish that adds a nice layer of age. It's well balanced with both sweet and drying flavors - just a really solid bourbon as a whole.
In terms of value, this Small Batch Select is very good. Prices on Four Roses bourbons have actually seemed to come down in our area over the past couple of years, meaning that this bottle is now competing with other bourbons in the $40 to $50 range; it's better than a lot of that competition.
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.71
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Four Roses reviews:
Review #656 - Four Roses 11 Year OBSF Single Barrel Barrel Strength - Binny's Pick
Review #439 - Four Roses 10 Year OESV Single Barrel Barrel Strength - Bottle Republic Pick
Review #371 - Four Roses 9 Year OESK Single Barrel Barrel Strength - Wiseguy Lounge Pick
Review #268 - Four Roses 11 Year OESK Single Barrel Barrel Strength
Review #267 - Four Roses 10 Year OESV Single Barrel Barrel Strength
