Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameFour Roses Small Batch
Bottled ByFour Roses Distillery LLD Lawrenceburg,KY
TypeKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol content90 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Unknown
Views (since 20080612) 93126
Bottling InfoFrom the label:Crafted From Four Select Bourbons

See forum post for more info...
Events for this bottling:



Review from Wasatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2272, Created:20131029183840)
Purchased at:On-line (DrinkUpNY)
Purchased for:$31.99 750ml
Info on this bottle:Small Batch
Nose:Nice light golden amber color.

Very nice vanilla note, caramel, some maple, nice oaky scent, spicy/cinammon.
Taste:Sweet on the lips, very nice oak note, spicy, with some vanilla/maple notes.
Finish:Lasts pretty long, with a slightly dry finish, tobacco. Pretty smooth.
Overall:Definitely a keeper, would buy again. Very Nice Bourbon!

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Review from karloff (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2244, Created:20130915151212)
Purchased at:Rehills(Newcastle, UK)
Purchased for:26 Pounds
Info on this bottle:Small Batch
Nose:An easy light nose of Vanilla, fruits, spices and for some reason I got a whiff of Bazooka Joe bubble gum.
Taste:Quite light and sweet when you first take a drink and then Wham, those spices hit home.
Finish:A medium sweet and spicy finish.
Overall:This has always been on my list to have, my mate had the standard bottle and he said it was poor so I went for this and to be honest I thought it was just average, nothing special.

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Review from GBrough (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2167, Created:20130315003254) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Bevmo
Purchased for:34 dollars
Info on this bottle:Handcrafted Kentucky Bourbon
Nose:To me this bottle was very spicy with a sweet charred oak, and hints of fruit. While I like it the spice feels overpowering at times.
Taste:The palate is balanced with a dose of spice, sweet vanilla, oak, cinnamon peaches and a burnt suger reminding me of times with family.
Finish:More spice, caramel, vanilla, fruit and charred oak. Simple and elegant
Overall:My bottle was 1/3rd of a way down so it was sweeter than my first taste of it, not as complex but much more balanced.

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Review from sez3 (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2146, Created:20130105211212, Updated:20130115230324) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Atlas, Lafayette CO
Purchased for:33
Info on this bottle:Standard
Nose:Distinct spice, with whiffs of oak
Taste:Very spicy, with a heavy wood undertone. Some occasional fruit, although more spicy notes than sweetness.
Finish:Nice heat to the finish (almost a slight black pepper!), with that same lingering wood
Overall:Just opened the bottle and it was very tight at first; found it much better on the rocks for a little loosening. Enjoyed the spice, but probably wouldn't call this an everyday pour. Great for cold nights (like tonight!) or -as someone said above- after a good meal!

***UPDATE*** Kinda strange to be updating a review within two weeks, but after my initial tasting of this bottle, I've found myself going back to it... a lot. And the flavor 1/3 down in the bottle is completely different than at the top. The upfront sweetness is much much clearer and the finish has smoothed out. Still pepper on the back but some thicker honey and sweetness there now as well. I'll admit, since I said this was not a daily pour... it has become a daily pour for me. Seems like a completely different bottle!

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Review from Watson Roadster (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2001, Created:20111015021111)
Purchased at:LCBO Hamilton,Ontario
Purchased for:$38.60 CDN
Info on this bottle:Four Roses Small Batch...Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey...Crafted from four select bourbons
Nose:Vanilla with Oak...Slight caramel...slight fruitiness...
Taste:Vanilla with spice...Then some dry oak...
Finish:Lengthy and lingering...Same vanilla,spice,and,dry oak as the taste but a lingering cinnamon thing going on with some fruitiness (I'm getting apples?)
Overall:This a very good Bourbon!And up here,it's in the same price range as Makers Mark but a far better value.It's very smooth and is subtle but still flavourful.I agree with others that say it requires time to breathe.Right out of the bottle,it was'nt very impressive,but with a litle time,it opened up nicely...Got a nice kick,too!

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1965, Created:20110516173627, Updated:20110516173743)
Purchased at:
Nose:Floral, citrusy, rye grain, oak, peachy sweetness all free floating. Rich, deep, interesting, but not loud or aggressive.
Taste:A rich but softly sweet fruity entry that virtually explodes at mid palate with cinnamon and pepper........ cleansing the whole palate and leaving some heat in its wake. The spicy and sweet flavors weave a kaleidascopic profile that changes over a short time.
Finish:The mid-palate heat and spice does not overwhelm the finish as one fears. The rich barrel, grain, and fruity flavors return for an encore in the midst of some dryness, and manage to leave a buttery residue that is very satisfying. Excellent
Overall:My opinion is that this bourbon must be approached as if in slow motion. It must be allowed to unfold much as a day lily does in the morning sun. It is 90 proof but plenty potent for its purposes........ if allowed sufficient time to accomplish them. I take those purposes to dampen the riot offered by the Four Roses Single Barrel and offer a similiar but quite different bourbon drinking experience. Both the Single Barrel and the Small Batch come on with serious intent to make an impression on your taste module. And they succeed. The Small Batch is a bit in the way of a mock charge, while the Single Barrel keeps little in reserve and goes all out. But both attacks are like those of a well trained army, with specific aims and goals. You must (my opinion) respect them on their terms or they will lay waste to you. I do not think of Four Roses Bourbons like I do any other bourbon. They (as always, my opinion only) make no allowances for new or inexperienced bourbon drinkers and demand respect and attention not often required by other bourbons. There is no better bourbon in this world than Four Roses Bourbons, and indeed, there is no better spirit in this world than Four Roses Bourbons.......... it has its equals in both worlds, but nothing is better. Jim Rutledge is an American genius and he and Four Roses deserve all the accolades they receive.

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Review from Birdo (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1962, Created:20110508192406, Updated:20110516085850) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Evergreen Liquors Louisville KY
Purchased for:$27.99 too much for 750ml
Nose:Smells nice like most bourbons I've had
Taste:Nice with good character, pretty good viscosity. Some cinnamon and rye spikes. Rough spicy finish.
Finish:Long dry finish.
Overall:I came away feeling jipped on this one. Way too pricey for what this is. Nice decantor bottle will serve to guest at taste testing gatherings. Who knows, I might like it when I try it again in two months. Knob Creek is far better as is Wild Turkey and Fighting Cock. May be I should have sprung for single barrel four roses, as it stands, Four Roses is not something I plan to buy again. Could be I'm just a value bourbon guy.

UPDATE: Turns out I like this stuff better than I thought at 1st. I just need to go to Liquor Barn and save about $5 buck a bottle.

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Review from Gant (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1927, Created:20110218171628)
Purchased at:gift
Info on this bottle:standard
Nose:Hints of sweet corn, spice, vanilla and caramel with a very interesting floral overtone reminiscent of new-mown grass.
Taste:Very nice; dances on the front of the tongue like a nice rye, although not quite as dry. Licorice notes also appear along with some spice.
Finish:Fairly dry, medium in duration.
Overall:A very nice bourbon indeed! A lighter bodied, drier expression of Four Roses than the mighty Single Barrel. This bottle was a gift but I will definitely be willing to spend the $29 for another (or 2 or 3...)

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Review from LogicalFrank (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1523, Created:20090316231722)
Purchased at:
Nose:Striking and bright w/ a tart fruity edge. Light notes of oak and vanilla.
Taste:I am not personally a person who values smoothness above flavor but this is one case where a lighter flavored bourbon still has enough going on to keep it interesting. Sweet, something reminds me a bit of butterscotch but more a feel thing than taste.
Finish:Suitably crisp to balance the sweetness.
Overall:This is a good bourbon. It is not going to bowl you over w/ strong flavors but in a way that's its strong point. It is just a lovely little thing to sip on.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1303, Created:20080924164419) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$30
Info on this bottle:Crafted from four select bourbons
Nose:Floral opening with rye spice slippin in 'twixt the fruit and the alcohol. Oak lies quietly in the background. Not a characteristic bourbon nose, but enticing anyway.
Taste:Citrus fruit and spicy bite greet the palate, but some thick sweetness fights its way out toward the middle and back of the mouth. This bourbon has a nice combination of spice, sweetness, and dry oak. I like it for its distinct flavors that offer some unusual contrasts.
Finish:A long finish that is thick with sweetness and sharp with spice followed by a quite dry final moment.
Overall:I really like what Mr Jim Rutledge does with distilled spirits. For thutty dollar, this is a wondermous sip of bourbon whiskey! Me and Four Roses make a good drinking team....... all both of us as happy as a pig in pants!

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Review from Kendall (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1236, Created:20080811203140)
Purchased at:Liquor Barn,Lex.Ky.
Purchased for:21.99
Info on this bottle:standard botle
Nose:saw dust, light floral
Taste:easy and smooth. I can not taste anything distinctive.
Finish:very short
Overall:i have a cold so I may be missing a lot. I was not impressed. ok for $22 but will not purchase another bottle. I will revisit and post a revised
review when my cold is gone.

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Review from kickert (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1233, Created:20080810220636)
Purchased at:Chuck's Liquor Outlet - Bowling Green
Purchased for:25
Info on this bottle:Small Batch
Nose:light, it takes a deep inhale to catch the subtleties of this bourbon
Taste:Absolutely nothing harsh in this bourbon at all. The taste is consistent throughout and drinks like a much lower proof bourbon
Finish:moderate and consistent
Overall:Some might say this bourbon lacks character, but I say the character lies in its consistency and smoothness. Great bourbon to sip on, but not a pour that is going to knock anyone's socks off. I can think of no better everyday pour. A great one to compare other pours against.

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 978, Created:20080109195314)
Purchased at:MorrellWine.com
Purchased for:29.95
Nose:Not as smooth and tantalizing as the single barrel, but very nice. Caramel, floral, sweet mint?
Taste:very light... and floral. There is caramel, but it is very light.

Finish:I have had two other glasses tonight and I started with the EG 12 yr, then the FR SB, so this may have been the wrong direction (duh)

seems very short... I like this. I

Overall:I like this...I have had about a quarter of this bottle and it is a fun, light fairly complex drinker...

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Review from scubagirl (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 965, Created:20080108112514)
Purchased at:Log Cabin Tavern
Purchased for:26.00
Info on this bottle:Four Roses Small Batch
Proof Of this Bottle:90 proof
Nose:fruity with spices, sweet and a little oak
Taste:I really like the Four Roses Small Batch, mellow, fruity, smooth, kinda buttery, not too spicey and very easy to sip on.
Finish:Mellow, did I really just drink a Bourbon. Wish the bottle never ran dry.
Overall:Its hard to explain your taste to others, but this is truely a great Bourbon, I enjoy it more other bourbons it just suits me.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 948, Created:20071214141603, Updated:20071214145037)
Purchased at:My dog says he won it in a crap game - who am I to doubt him
Info on this bottle:Same as on yours
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Rye, wood, vanilla, citrus, and a smidge of caramel. There is also something akin to clover or heather playing around the edges. The nose of this bourbon has something about it that offers a bit of a challenge. It is not ordinary, and while not completely enticing, I cannot leave it alone. I don't want to taste this until I have explored these strange new aromas. The wood plays a big role with this bourbon.
Taste:Rich, viscous and sweet upfront, with the rye spice damped by the woody dryness. The spices reassert themselves as the bourbon goes down the gullet.
Finish:Moderatley long with the spice being held off by the dryness of the wood.
Overall:I am sure this bourbon has been a while in the wood, its presence is quite apparent. Overall it is the polar opposite of the most recent FRSB I had. Its flavor and sweetnes are more pronounced upfront and fade into dryness toward the back of the mouth. While being somewhat unbalanced toward the dry, I still find it an excellent bourbon.........because I often find dry bourbons to my liking. A first rate product that pleases me. I think it normally sells in the $30 range. Get your dog to get you a bottle.

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 654, Created:20061122043203, Updated:20061122044517)
Purchased at:Party Source, KY
Purchased for:$30 approx.
Info on this bottle:Standard new bottling
Nose:Very fruity, almost marmalade-like, with a mix of fresh and lightly charred wood scents
Taste:More marmalade with some wood background again, spices as in mulled cider
Finish:Dry, lingering, with oak coming to the fore
Overall:Excellent new product. I might prefer it a tad less dry but it is very good as it is.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 581, Created:20060830161422) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Bourbon Bistro
Info on this bottle:Standard Bottle
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Very light nose. Slightly spicey with some floral notes and vanilla
Taste:Very fruity and spicey - citrus fruit with liquorice and cinnamon spice followed by some rich caramel and oak wood.
Finish:Very long and sweet with fruit and caramel leading into some oak wood.
Overall:Very good neat as an after dinner drink. This bourbon opens up more with time as it breathes a little. The nose gets a little more pronounced and the flavor remains light and refreshing, but it is not a light weight bourbon. Very flavorfull but not overpowering.

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