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Booker’s vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Booker’s and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +31 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$28 – $35 ~$66 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Booker’s does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 10/4 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
nuttiness 8/4 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
spice 7/5 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
- 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 Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with significantly more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- 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 (Booker’s); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).