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Elijah Craig Small Batch vs Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year
Comparing Elijah Craig Small Batch and Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year is a closer contest than it looks — both are traditional bourbons, separated mainly by proof (94 vs. 100).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Elijah Craig Small Batch | Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 7 years |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$28 – $35 ~$9 less | ~$35 – $45 |
- 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.
Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 4/5 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/5 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 6 out of 10
spice 5/5 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 5 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land close together on every flavor axis — the differences are in texture and proof more than character.
- 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.
- Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year: Seven years, bonded, and priced sensibly — the specification sheet reads like something from twenty years ago. Balanced and oak-leaning without ever getting heavy.
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 Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year if you want a bonded, age-stated Kentucky bourbon that gets the fundamentals right for under forty dollars with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year).