Review #923 - Elijah Craig 18 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

While the recent release of Elijah Craig 15 Year has been received with much acclaim, there's an older single barrel bourbon release from this brand which gets much less fanfare: this 18 Year Single Barrel. While it is older, which is often seen as a good thing in the bourbon world, the reception for this bottle has been very mixed over the last several years. Here's the problem: a relatively low bottling strength of 45% ABV (90 proof).

Generally, when looking to buy a premium bourbon - this one definitely fits that description, with a price that fluctuates between $150 and $200 - drinkers are looking for a whisky which meets certain criteria. Often this means well-aged whisky, or rarity, or high strength whisky, and generally, we think it's good to have a mix of all three of these involved.

Because this spent such a long time in new oak, it is possible that we'll find an increased oily texture from the wood impact; still, that can only make up for so much. So, how does this 18 year bourbon from Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig brand stack up?

Elijah Craig 18 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

USA - Bourbon

Price: USD 180 (2026)

Age Statement: 18 Years

Strength: 45% ABV

Details: Barrel 5449; bottled July 7, 2021

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 60% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Surprisingly herbal and rye-forward: sage, rosemary, then we get some older oak notes like tobacco and a nutty side of pecans and walnut. Sweetness comes from caramel, and there's just a hint of a dark fruit in the background.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin. It's very oaky, but there's a nice balance of sweetness and drying notes - tannins, vanilla, then some cranberry and nutmeg. It grows more spicy and herbal, and we get tart orange fruit at times.

Finish: This mellows out quickly, though some of that herbal rye spice lingers for a while. Sharp orange peel, brown sugar, and lots of tannins linger with a leathery taste; it's a medium length finish.

Final Note: As soon as this hits your palate, you're left wanting more heft - it's just a weak mouthfeel for a $175 bourbon, and the flavor density is a bit lacking due to the amount of water that's been added. There are some nice flavors to dig into, and we enjoyed the heavy oak side of this bourbon; we also found this specific single barrel focused quite a bit on that rye grain character, even though that only makes up 10% of the Elijah Craig mashbill. Overall, it's good, but nothing special for us.

Value suffers due to the pairing of the just 'decent' score and the high price - this wouldn't be anywhere near our top pick for a well-aged bourbon, or for a whisky in this specific price range. We think that competitors such as Knob Creek 18 Year, Russell's Reserve 13 Year, Michter's 10 Year, Maker's Mark Cellar Aged, and even Heaven Hill's own Elijah Craig 15 Year have more to offer for the price.

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 4.89

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.