Four Roses Small Batch is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It is a blend of four of the distillery’s ten bourbon recipes, OBSK, OESK, OBSO and OESO, aged around six to seven years and bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof).

Four Roses launched Small Batch in 2006, two years after Single Barrel, under then Master Distiller Jim Rutledge. Each batch draws on all four recipes, typically from barrels in several of the distillery’s warehouses, and is test-blended in rounds before bottling.

The Four Recipes

The four recipes split evenly across Four Roses’ two mash bills, and share two of its five yeast strains:

• OBSK: high-rye mash bill (35% rye) with K yeast, for spice and a full body.
• OBSO: high-rye mash bill with O yeast, for rich red fruit.
• OESK: lower-rye mash bill (20% rye) with K yeast, for spice and sweetness.
• OESO: lower-rye mash bill with O yeast, for fruit and a medium body.

The K and O strains are the spiciest and fruitiest in the Four Roses range. Small Batch is built around them, which makes it richer and spicier than Four Roses Bourbon, which blends all ten recipes. Four Roses Single Barrel takes the opposite approach, with one recipe from one barrel.

Four Roses Small Batch Tasting Notes

• Nose: Honey, apricot and orange peel, with sweet vanilla, baking spice and a touch of red berries.
• Palate: Ripe plum and red fruit over oak and warm cinnamon.
• Finish: Soft, smooth and pleasantly long, with caramel and gentle spice.

Who It Suits

Small Batch suits bourbon drinkers who want more depth than an entry-level bottle without moving to a high-proof one. At 45% it is easy to drink neat and has enough body for a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned or a mint julep.