four roses small batch select Archives

Ready to revamp your whiskey game in 2024? We’re talking about a whiskey bucket list stacked with top-tier bourbon, all budget-friendly and easy to find. Everything on this bucket list is tried and true, and based on both old classics and new bottles that emerged as top pours in 2023 – and show potential to carry on that promise into 2024.

Honorable Mentions

2023 was a year of bourbon highlights, but not all of the bourbons that emerged last year will make it onto our list for 2024. Here’s a few of those honorable mentions:

One of the most acclaimed bourbons of 2023 was Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon, which won the “Best in Show” award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This 10-year-old bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery is the only extra-aged bottled-in-bond single barrel bourbon available, and it offers a rich and buttery flavor profile with a smooth finish.

Another standout bourbon was Booker’s 2023-01: Charlie’s Batch, named after the woodworker who designed the wooden boxes for Booker’s releases. This barrel-proof bourbon from Jim Beam has a potent and complex nose, with notes of clover, white nectarine, caramel, chocolate, and oak.

For those who prefer a softer and sweeter bourbon, W.L. Weller Special Reserve was a great choice. This wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery has a smooth and mellow taste, with hints of vanilla, honey, and spice.

Finally, one of the most surprising bourbons of 2023 was Woodinville Whiskey Company Straight Bourbon, which came from Washington state. This bourbon is made from locally grown corn, rye, and malted barley, and aged in charred new oak barrels. It has a balanced and flavorful character, with notes of caramel, dark fruit, and wood smoke, and earns an “honorable mention” for this whiskey bucket list.

Top 10 Whiskeys for your 2024 Bucket List

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon
Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
E.H. Taylor Small Batch
Four Roses Small Batch
Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Old
Maker’s Mark 46
Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
Eagle Rare 10 Year Old

Whiskey Bucket List Tasting & Notes

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon

This American classic has been aged for at least eight years and balances a symphony of spicy and sweet with undertones of fruit and caramel. Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon, an 8-year-old American whiskey, strikes a balanced mix of flavor profiles, making it a preferred choice for whiskey enthusiasts that want to branch away from the traditional Kentucky blends without sacrificing quality.

Fair Price: $61.75

Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon

The 10 year age statement on this bourbon is a winner. Notably acknowledged for its smooth character, Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon brings to the fore a high-standard straight whiskey. The whiskey delivers a refined, clean finish, and delivers a balanced flavor profile. You can’t go wrong with this bottle.

Fair Price: $64.38

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

“ECBP” has won lots of awards recently and is the chatter of the whiskey community. Characterized by its exceptionally balanced taste, Elijah Craig is reminiscent of warm spices, subtle smoke, and sweet molasses – a perfect bottle for anyone stepping into the world of small-batch bourbons.

Fair Price: $99.59

Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon

Bottled at 90 proof, this robust Russell bourbon excites the palate with notes of toffee, fruit, and a bit of smoke – a commendable mid-shelf bottle for bourbon lovers.

Fair Price: $78.20

E.H. Taylor Small Batch

This bourbon is highly-rated, delicious and a perfect example of Buffalo Trace’s famous Mashbill #1. This bourbon hints of caramel and vanilla with a mellow complexity. This is a phenominal sipper and one of our favorites. This bottle is also allocated, so jump on it if you see it for a reasonable price. (Read our E.H. Taylor price guide here)

Fair Price: $96.00

Four Roses Small Batch

Four Roses is a rich, smooth bourbon with spicy flavors contrasting with sweet oak and caramel notes. (Read our complete review on Four Roses Small Batch here)

Fair Price: $62.91

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Old

Aged for nine years, this bourbon offers a sweet, woody flavor with a rich, full body, a perfect sipping companion.

Fair Price: $52.67

Maker’s Mark 46

Known for its balanced soft and smooth taste, Maker’s Mark 46 stands a head and shoulders above all Maker’s Mark products. It imparts a unique character from aging in French Oak barrels, is easily accessible, and absolutely worth the extra price over regular Marker’s.

Fair Price: $50.52

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select

Stepping into the upper echelon of easily accessible bourbons, we encounter the classic Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select. True to its Kentucky roots, this bourbon is crafted with a balanced mix of corn, barley, and rye, impressing bourbon lovers with its subtle mix of dried fruit, vanilla, and toasted oak. The taste enthralls with a medley of cocoa, spicy cinnamon, creamy vanilla, and sweet caramel. Its full-bodied flavor, coupled with a silky-smooth texture, rounds out your drink nicely.

Fair Price: $52.99

Eagle Rare 10 Year Old

A high-quality bourbon that spotlights the perfect balance of sweet, oak, and herbaceous notes. Eagle Rare’s age statement goes a step above Buffalo Trace, and it shows. This bourbon is a fantastic sipper, and a star in cocktails.

Fair Price: $42.39

Elijah Craig’s Small Batch remains a personal standout on this whiskey bucket list, with its undeniably warm spice and subtle smoke sync that overlays a sweet molasses taste. Meanwhile, the robust Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old pours out an unforgettable taste structure that beautifully harmonizes toffee and fruit notes against a touch of smoke.

Although these are personal favorites, bear in mind the poweful draw of the bourbon landscape lies within its diversity. Let your taste buds be the explorer while remembering the words of Mark Twain: “too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.”

Happy hunting in 2024!

Read our review on Four Roses Small Batch Select. This bourbon’s taste, nose, finish, value, and history. Whether you are a beginner or a connoisseur, you will find something to enjoy in this bottle. Four Roses Small Batch Select is a bourbon that deserves a place in your collection and your glass.

Four Roses Small Batch Select Age, Composition, and Proof

Mashbill: “E” Blend of 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley and “B” 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Age: 6-7 Years
Proof: 104.4
Parent Company: Kirkin Brewing

Small Batch Select was introduced to the Four Roses lineup in 2019. This was the first permanent addition to the product line in 12 years, and it showcases the work of the master distiller Brent Elliott. The Small Batch Select is a blend of six of the 10 Four Roses bourbon recipes, aged for at least six years, and bottled at 104 proof. The six recipes are OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF (this is actually kind of intereting, and you can read about Four Roses’ Mashbills here).

The Small Batch Select mashbill recipe consists of 2 mashbills, named “B” and “E”: 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley (E) and 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley (B). The yeast strain of each recipe adds a different character, such as V (delicate fruit), K (slight spice), O (rich fruit), Q (floral essence), or F (herbal notes). Small Batch Select is formulated by combining various elements of the Four Roses Mashbills.

It’s also worth noting that this is a non-chill filtered bourbon, meaning that it retains more of the natural oils and flavors from the barrel.

Four Roses History

Four Roses has a sappy origin story. According to the distillery, Four Roses is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that has a romantic origin story. According to legend, the founder of Four Roses, Paul Jones Jr., fell in love with a Southern belle and proposed to her. She replied that if she accepted, she would wear a corsage of four roses to the upcoming grand ball. On the night of the ball, Jones saw her wearing the corsage and was overjoyed. He named his bourbon Four Roses as a symbol of his passion for her and his whiskey.

The Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, was built in 1910 with Spanish Mission-style architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was originally owned by J.T.S. Brown and designed by Joseph & Joseph Architects, a firm with a long history of distillery design. The brand was acquired by Seagram in 1943 and became popular in Europe and Asia, but was discontinued as a straight bourbon in the US market until 2002.

Today, Four Roses is actually owned by a Japanese Whiskey Company, Kirkin Brewing. In 2002, Kirin bought Four Roses to help them expand into the Asian whiskey market (which is utterly booming). Four Roses now joins Beam Suntory (more about Jim Beam here) among the ranks of Asian-owned American bourbon brands.

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Review:

Nose: Spicy rye hits your nose from the get go. Even though this bourbon is only around 104 proof, you also get a strong hit of alcohol. After rye and alcohol, lots of the customary flavors jump in: Oak, black pepper, licorice.

Score: 8.2/10

Palette & Finish:

As with the nose of this drink, rye hits you up front. Past that, you get oak, vanilla, caramel, and a finish of leather and tobacco. The flavors balance beautifully, and no particular flavor jumps out as overwhelming. Past the finish, you’ll have a good burn of spicy rye and alcohol in this drink as well.

But Four Roses Small batch select is also smooth. Very very smooth. Pleasantly so. This is a great pour for beginners.

Score: 8.9/10

Value:

The MSRP for Four Roses Small Batch Select is $59.98. This is right along the market rate for premium-to-nice bourbons with the proof and age that we’re seeing in this bottle.

For the value, I’d say this bourbon is spot on, and above-average for it’s peers.

Score: 9.0/10

Bourbon Dose Final Score:

Four Roses Small Batch Select is a remarkable bourbon that showcases the craftsmanship and diversity of the Four Roses brand. It is a complex and smooth blend of six different recipes, each with its own character and flavor profile. Whether you are a beginner or a connoisseur, you will find something to enjoy in this bottle. Four Roses Small Batch Select is a bourbon that deserves a place in your collection and your glass.

Final Verdict: 8.7/10 – Get it if you don’t want to drop five grand on Pappy.

Bourbon Dose

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