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Elijah Craig Small Batch vs Four Roses Single Barrel
Elijah Craig Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Elijah Craig Small Batch | Four Roses Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$28 – $35 ~$19 less | ~$45 – $55 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Four Roses Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch Four Roses Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/8 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10
fruit 4/7 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10
heat 4/6 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10
oak 7/6 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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.
- Four Roses Single Barrel: The OBSV recipe on its own at 100 proof — the highest-rye mash Four Roses uses, paired with their most floral yeast. Cherry and clove in equal measure, and a genuinely distinctive glass.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- Go with Four Roses Single Barrel if you want the most expressive, spice-and-fruit-forward single recipe in the Four Roses range with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel).