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Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $50 | ~$28 – $35 ~$16 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/5 spice: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
fruit 7/4 fruit: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
oak 5/7 oak: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
nuttiness 2/4 nuttiness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 2 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond: Bardstown's own high-rye recipe, distilled on site rather than sourced. More than a third rye gives it a bright, minty, fruit-and-pepper profile over caramel and light oak.
- Elijah Craig Small Batch: A heavily oak-driven pour for the money, with vanilla bean and brown sugar riding on top of real char and smoke. The extra age shows up as wood depth rather than harshness.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond if you want a spicy, fruit-forward high-rye bourbon with the guarantees of a bonded label with slightly more proof behind it.
- Go with Elijah Craig Small Batch if you want the best oak-forward value on the shelf, with more wood character than its price suggests.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).