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Elijah Craig Small Batch vs Wild Turkey 101
Elijah Craig Small Batch and Wild Turkey 101 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 | Wild Turkey 101 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 101 proof (50.5% ABV) +7 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$28 – $35 | ~$25 – $30 |
- 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.
Wild Turkey 101
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch Wild Turkey 101
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/8 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 8 out of 10
heat 4/6 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 7 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- Wild Turkey 101: The workhorse high-rye Kentucky bourbon and one of the best proof-to-price ratios anywhere. Vanilla and orange up front, then a genuinely spicy, peppery, tobacco-tinged middle that punches well above $25.
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 Wild Turkey 101 if you want bold rye spice and real proof at the lowest price of anything comparable.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Wild Turkey 101).