This is my first Four Roses bottle and it certainly won't be the last. Four Roses has a couple of things going for it right out of the gate: they actually distill their own juice, and they have 10 distinct bourbons that can be batched in a myriad of ways. The fact that they distill their own juice is a big plus in my book. So many big labels now that buy their distillate from the big producers like LDI and then slap their own label on the bottle. Anyone that has their own distillery is unique, apart from the rest. This whiskey is a blend of four of Four Roses recipes using two distinct mash bills. The first is 60% corn, 35% Rye, 5% malted barley. The second is 75/20/5. This results in a fairly high Rye bourbon and you can definitely taste the Rye influence. In fact my first impression of this dram was that it was more like a Rye whiskey than a bourbon. Four Roses Small Batch is an NAS bourbon bottled at 45% ABV. It's a medium amber liquid that coats the glass with an oily slick and produces sparse skinny legs. The nose is full of spicy honey sweetness. There are some light alcohol phenols that fade with time and/or water. Water opens up the nose slightly revealing cinnamon and cloves, but does nothing for the palate. The palate is more of the same, with the spice from the Rye competing with a sweet, smooth oak. The finish is a medium length dry, peppery char. This whiskey is equally good in a Manhattan or neat. Overall a really excellent bourbon, especially considering the price. 4.0. Cheers!