Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch Select
- May 29, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: May 20
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
About This Spirit from the Maker
Small Batch Select
For someone looking for an expertly-crafted bourbon, Four Roses Small Batch Select is a 104-proof, non-chill-filtered bourbon that provides a rich depth of flavors and a closer-to-the-barrel experience.
104 Proof / Aged 6 - 7 Years
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Raspberries, cloves & nutmeg
Palate: Apricot, berries, vanilla & light oak
Finish: Lingering spearmint with a light touch of cinnamon
A Unique Blend of Our Recipes
1 obsv: delicate fruit and rye
2 obsk: rye and baking spice
5 obsf: delicate rye and mint
6 oesv: delicate fruit and caramel
7 oesk: baking spice
10 oesf: light grain and mint
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
How We Feel About the Spirit
Four Roses Small Batch Select – The Next Step in Our Four Roses Journey
A His & Hers Perspective
Some bottles feel like milestones. Four Roses Small Batch Select is exactly that—sitting on our Sipping Room shelf as the next rung on the Four Roses ladder, a confident step above the Small Batch we just wrote about. We haven’t opened it yet, but even sealed, it carries an energy that says, “I’m something special.”
This bottle feels like the moment when curiosity meets craftsmanship—and we’re letting the anticipation build.
His Take
If the regular Four Roses is the dependable workhorse, and the Small Batch is the refined older sibling, then Small Batch Select is the one who went off to college, came back polished, and now speaks with a little more depth.
Even unopened, this bottle feels serious. Non‑chill filtered. A higher proof. Six of their ten recipes blended instead of four. Everything about it hints at complexity—more spice, more richness, more layers waiting to unfold. It’s the kind of bourbon you don’t rush into. You prepare for it.
I catch myself looking at it the same way I look at a new cigar I’m not quite ready to smoke yet. Not out of hesitation, but out of respect. This bottle deserves the right night, the right mood, the right glass, and the right company.
For now, it stays sealed. And honestly, that’s part of the fun.
Her Take
This bottle feels like a graduation moment in our Four Roses collection. We’ve gone from the approachable everyday pour, to the thoughtful Small Batch, and now to Small Batch Select—the expression that feels like it was crafted for people who want to savor, not just sip.
I haven’t tasted it yet, but I already imagine it being bolder, richer, and more expressive than the Small Batch. Something with a little more personality. A little more warmth. A little more story behind every drop.
I love that it’s still unopened. It feels like a promise waiting for the right evening—maybe after a great dinner, maybe during a quiet night in the Sipping Room, maybe when we’re celebrating something small but meaningful. I want our first pour to feel intentional, not impulsive.
Until then, it sits proudly on the shelf, reminding us that our bourbon journey keeps unfolding one bottle at a time.
Our Joint Thoughts
Four Roses Small Batch Select represents the next chapter—an elevated expression that builds on everything we already appreciate about the brand. It’s a bottle we bought not out of necessity, but out of curiosity and admiration for the craft.
We haven’t opened it yet, and that’s exactly how it should be. Some bottles are meant to be enjoyed immediately. Others are meant to be admired, anticipated, and saved for a moment that feels worthy of their story.
This one is waiting patiently. And when we finally open it, it’ll be another shared moment—another step in His, Hers & the Good Life.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
How This Bottle Should Be Enjoyed
Four Roses Small Batch Select isn’t a bottle you rush into. It’s one you approach with intention — the way you would a story that deserves your full attention.
Start Neat — the “meet the bourbon” pour
The very first sip should be neat, in a proper glass, with a moment of stillness before tasting. This is where you meet the bourbon exactly as the master distiller intended — bold, layered, and unfiltered. Let it sit for a minute. Let the aroma rise. Let the anticipation settle.
Add a Splash of Water — the “open the layers” pour
A few drops of water can work magic here. Small Batch Select is known for its complexity, and water helps stretch those layers out — revealing softer fruit notes, deeper spice, and the subtleties hiding beneath the higher proof.
This is the pour where conversation slows down and curiosity takes over.
On a Single Large Ice Rock — the “slow evolution” pour
If you prefer a chilled bourbon, use one large ice sphere or cube. The slow melt cools the bourbon without drowning it, letting the flavor evolve gradually from bold to mellow. This is the pour for long evenings, soft music, and the kind of company that makes time feel unhurried.
Not for Cocktails — let this one shine
Small Batch Select isn’t a mixing bourbon. It’s crafted to be savored, not disguised. Save the cocktails for the regular Four Roses or the Small Batch. This bottle deserves center stage.
The Real Secret: The Moment Matters
The best way to enjoy this bottle is the way you already enjoy your Sipping Room moments — with intention, with warmth, and with the person who makes the ritual meaningful. Some bottles are about flavor. This one is about experience.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Disclaimer: Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age. Life’s Rants promotes the responsible and legal enjoyment of premium cigars and alcohol by individuals of legal age. We do not endorse or encourage smoking or drinking among minors.
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