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Eagle Rare 12 Year vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Eagle Rare 12 Year and Elijah Craig Small Batch are cut from similar cloth: two takes on traditional bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$50 – $80 vs. ~$28 – $35).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Eagle Rare 12 Year | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$50 – $80 | ~$28 – $35 ~$34 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Eagle Rare 12 Year Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 6/4 fruit: Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
spice 5/5 spice: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
- 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 Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak.
- 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, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).