Horse Soldier Bourbon Barrel Strength Vs Small Batch: What's The Difference?

The whiskey world abounds with variety, and different factors may come into play when comparing the options a brand offers. For example, some spirits can be aged for different amounts of time. Others can be blended from different batches or bottled from a single cask, giving them a specific flavor profile unique to each particular barrel. Horse Soldier Bourbon offers two higher-end versions of its liquor (apart from the brand's Premium Straight Bourbon Whiskey) — Reserve Barrel Strength and Signature Small Batch — that are made in different ways. One of the main differences between them lies in the proof, or how strong they are.

Horse Soldier's Barrel Strength bourbon is bottled directly from the barrel, which means no water is added to dilute it and lower the alcohol content. As a result, you get a higher-proof and fuller-bodied liquor. By contrast, the Small Batch bourbon has a lower alcohol proof. Although each one is made from small batches of blended, aged bourbon, they boast different flavor profiles. Also, all of Horse Soldier's bourbons are non-chill filtered, meaning they are minimally processed and could have a hazy appearance.

Horse Soldier's Barrel Strength offering is listed as +110 proof. Because this type of bourbon is bottled straight from the cask without being diluted, the alcohol content can be slightly different from barrel to barrel. So, the plus indicates there may be some variation. However, you can bet on it being 110 proof at a minimum. In other words, it's at least 55% alcohol by volume.

Horse Soldier describes its barrel strength version as having a flavor profile with hints of butterscotch, oak, and stone fruits. This is not a single cask bourbon, so it's still made from a blend of small batches.

It's also wheated, which means it's made using wheat as a secondary grain rather than rye. (The grains used to make bourbons in the U.S. consist of at least 51% corn and typically include other plants such as rye and barley.) Wheated bourbons tend to be smoother to drink than their rye counterparts. This combination of qualities has paid off for Horse Soldier's Barrel Strength whiskey, which won two gold medals at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Horse Soldier's Small Batch bourbon is 95 proof, meaning it has 47.5% alcohol. Because it's diluted during production to a desired level, the alcohol content will remain consistent in each bottle.

The brand describes the flavor of its Signature Small Batch variety as having touches of vanilla, ginger, and cherries. Like the barrel strength version, it's a wheated bourbon and won two gold medals at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The distinction of being a "small batch" bourbon is a bit vague, because there's no specific legal standard to define it. However, it generally means that the spirit is produced from fewer barrels than a standard blend might be. The number of barrels selected for the batch is up to the distillery, so it could be blended from as few as two barrels or many more. Horse Soldier's website doesn't explicitly state how many barrels the small batch version comes from, but one store says it's crafted from eight to 10 barrels (via Mission Liquor).