Four Roses Small Batch vs Wild Turkey 101: Which Wins?

Discover the differences between Four Roses Small Batch vs Wild Turkey 101 in this in-depth comparison and decide which bourbon is better for You!

Four Roses Small Batch

Nose	Vanilla, cherry, oak
Palate	Vanilla, oak, baking spice
Finish	Long, burnt caramel
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Add water
Similar to	Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek

The nose is mainly sweet with hints of vanilla, cherry and oak.

On the palate, the Four Roses displays a good creamy body, is rich in vanilla, caramel and rye spice with a faint oaky note.

The finish is long, with very little burn with a nice hint of burnt caramel.

The Four Roses Small Batch (Similar Bourbons) nicely balances sweet and spicy flavors and is packed with enjoyable hints. 

Creamy and smooth with just the right amount of spice making a great sipper. There is no need to add ice or a drop of water to tune it down as it goes down easy with no harshness.

If you have already tried the Four Roses Yellow Label you will find the Small Batch to be a vast improvement.

It is more tasty and smoother while still providing great value for the money and a satisfying daily drinker.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Four Roses:

• Made from a blend of four different Kentucky bourbons. Two of the bourbons are made from of a mash of 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley, while the other two bourbons are comprised of a mash of 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley.

• Each of the bourbons is fermented with a unique, proprietary yeast culture providing a different flavor to the whiskeys in the blend.

• Each bourbon is aged for a minimum of 4 years at a one-story rickhouse.

• Only 4 casks are used in the construction of each release.

• Four Roses Bourbon is owned by the Kirin Brewery Company, which is part of the Mitsubishi Group.

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

Nose	Oak, honey, caramel, vanilla
Palate	Vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, mint
Finish	Long, caramel, charred oak, old leather
Alcohol content	101 proof (50.5% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks
Similar to	Buffalo Trace, Evan Williams BIB

On the nose the Turkey 101 is sweet, with hints of honey, caramel and vanilla along a charred oak note.

It offers a nice mouthfeel as it has a buttery feel, a bit warm at first, giving way to vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, hazelnuts and a light touch of mint.

The finish is medium to long, pleasantly warm, high in charred oak as every Wild Turkey Whiskey and a satisfying note of old leather.

Wild Turkey 101 strikes a solid balance between oak spice, old leather and sweet notes, it is complex but yet easy to drink with quite a pleasant finish.

This is good tasty bourbon that gives a moderate yet pleasing burn; add a large ice ball if you want it go down easy.

The Wild Turkey 101 is one of the best bourbons in terms of value, it goes head to head with much pricier and elite bottles making it a no-brainer.

If you tried the regular Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon you are going to find the 101 to be a vast improvement.

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon:

• Mash bill is comprised of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley.

• This whiskey ages for no less than 5 years in heavily charred casks.

• Wild Turkey uses non-GMOs to make whiskey.

• Wild Turkey barrels its whiskey at a lower entry-proof, meaning the spirit is a lower proof as it comes off the still prior to maturing; that lower entry proof allows to more flavor from the grains.

• The whiskey is pulled from the barrel at 109 proof before being proofed down a notch.

• The 101 won a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Four Roses Small Batch vs Wild Turkey 101: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Four Roses Small Batch	$40
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon	$27

Four Roses Small Batch vs Wild Turkey 101: Which is better?

Whiskey	Four Roses	Wild Turkey 101
Nose	✅	✅
Body		✅
Palate	✅	✅
Finish	✅	✅
Value		✅

Wild Turkey 101 is a better bourbon than the Four Roses for 4 reasons:

• It comes at a higher proof (101 vs a mere 90) but it does not feel warm.

• Wild Turkey is smooth yet flavorful with deeper tasting notes.

• This is a versatile whiskey that you can drink neat, rocks or in cocktails.

• Wild Turkey 101 offers great value for the money; hard to find a quality high proof spirit for less than $30 bucks.