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Elijah Craig Small Batch vs Redemption Bourbon
Elijah Craig Small Batch and Redemption Bourbon sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus a sourced, rye-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Elijah Craig Small Batch | Redemption Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) +10 proof | 84 proof (42% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$28 – $35 | ~$25 – $32 |
- 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.
Redemption Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch Redemption Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 4 out of 10
spice 5/7 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 7 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10
heat 4/3 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating 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.
- Redemption Bourbon: Straightforward sourced MGP at a modest proof, and about as clear a reference sample of the high-rye MGP profile as you can buy. Thin neat, but a reliable and inexpensive cocktail base.
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 with more proof behind it.
- Go with Redemption Bourbon if you want an inexpensive, unambiguous example of the MGP high-rye style for mixing.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Redemption Bourbon).