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Eagle Rare 12 Year vs Jefferson’s Very Small Batch
Comparing Eagle Rare 12 Year and Jefferson’s Very Small Batch is a closer contest than it looks — both are traditional bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$50 – $80 vs. ~$28 – $36).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Eagle Rare 12 Year | Jefferson’s Very Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) +13 proof | 82.3 proof (41.1% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$50 – $80 | ~$28 – $36 ~$33 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year and Jefferson’s Very Small Batch do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Jefferson’s Very Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Eagle Rare 12 Year Jefferson’s Very Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 5/2 heat: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch 2 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch 6 out of 10
spice 5/4 spice: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch 4 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- 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.
- Jefferson’s Very Small Batch: A blend of sourced barrels bottled at a very gentle 82.3 proof. Easy and inoffensive, but thin enough that it is hard to recommend over bonded bottles costing less.
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 with more proof behind it.
- Go with Jefferson’s Very Small Batch if you want an especially soft, low-proof pour and gentleness matters more than intensity at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year); rocks, cocktails, highball (Jefferson’s Very Small Batch).