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Redemption Bourbon vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Redemption Bourbon and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, rye-forward bottling versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Redemption Bourbon | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 84 proof (42% ABV) | 94 proof (47% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 | ~$28 – $35 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Redemption Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Redemption Bourbon Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/7 oak: Redemption Bourbon 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
spice 7/5 spice: Redemption Bourbon 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 3/4 heat: Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- 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 Redemption Bourbon if you want an inexpensive, unambiguous example of the MGP high-rye style for mixing.
- 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.
Best enjoyed old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Redemption Bourbon); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).