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Elijah Craig Small Batch vs W.L. Weller 12 Year
Elijah Craig Small Batch and W.L. Weller 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Elijah Craig Small Batch | W.L. Weller 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) +4 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$28 – $35 ~$94 less | ~$70 – $180 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- W.L. Weller 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- 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.
W.L. Weller 12 Year
No notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch W.L. Weller 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/2 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 4/3 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 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.
- W.L. Weller 12 Year: Twelve years on a wheated mash at a modest 90 proof, which is the combination that made this bottle famous. Deep caramel and baked fruit with polished rather than aggressive oak — the closest widely-discussed analogue to the Pappy profile.
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 W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); neat (W.L. Weller 12 Year).