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W.L. Weller 12 Year vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
W.L. Weller 12 Year and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | W.L. Weller 12 Year | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 94 proof (47% ABV) +4 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$70 – $180 | ~$28 – $35 ~$94 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- 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
W.L. Weller 12 Year
No notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
W.L. Weller 12 Year Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/5 spice: W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 3/4 heat: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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.
- 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 W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.
- 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 (W.L. Weller 12 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).