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Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +21 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$28 – $35 ~$31 less |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 7/4 heat: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
spice 7/5 spice: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style: Dense and syrupy for its age, with molasses and dark chocolate carrying a serious 115-proof punch. The high rye reads as baking spice rather than sharpness, and the body is unusually thick.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style if you want a rich, high-proof, dessert-leaning bourbon with real weight in the glass.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).