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Wild Turkey 101 vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Wild Turkey 101 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 | Wild Turkey 101 | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 101 proof (50.5% ABV) +7 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $30 | ~$28 – $35 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Wild Turkey 101
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Wild Turkey 101 Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/5 spice: Wild Turkey 101 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
heat 6/4 heat: Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Wild Turkey 101 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Wild Turkey 101 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Wild Turkey 101 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- 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 Wild Turkey 101 if you want bold rye spice and real proof at the lowest price of anything comparable.
- 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, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Wild Turkey 101); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).