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Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond vs Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style versus an undiluted barrel-strength pour.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond | Elijah Craig Barrel Proof |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 12 years +6 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 124 proof (62% ABV) +24 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $60 ~$33 less | ~$70 – $100 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/7 spice: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 7 out of 10
oak 5/9 oak: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 9 out of 10
heat 5/9 heat: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 9 out of 10
fruit 6/4 fruit: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 7 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
- Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: The uncut, unfiltered version of the same 12-year Heaven Hill juice, and the intensity is the whole point. Thick fudge and char with cinnamon heat, a genuinely long finish, and enough proof that water meaningfully changes the glass.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof if you want maximum intensity and oak depth, and you want to control the dilution yourself with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond); neat (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof).