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Elijah Craig 18


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20 minutes ago, Sluffo said:

#4135 from 9-16-97 (opened and tasted) and #4196 from 11-8-97.

 

I no longer get a sushi aftertaste on the finish, but a more earthy/musty taste.  And the finish takes a couple minutes to develop and lasts a loooooooong time.  I also get the exact same finish notes in my bottle of OWA though it doesn't last nearly as long.

Someone on twitter mentioned your sushi tasting note because he also got it with EWSB.

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I really doubt sushi is the correct term to describe the flavor I was getting (it certainly isn't a standard for flavor profiles), but my lack of a refined palate made it the closest thing I can think of.  There's just another reason I won't be writing whiskey tasting books any time soon.

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The Sushi Note is very interesting. I think I know what taste you are refering to. I get it in some BT bottles (and other Bourbons too) and refer to it as kind of a wet, cut grass flavour. Earthiness certainly is very similiar description and I think algae/nori share some similiar characteristics. 

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  • 10 months later...

Not to bump an old thread, but I have been very curious about this one. I stay kind of within the BT/Willett/Michters lines of bourbons and ryes. I passed on a gift basket with some 18 last year as I wasn't sure if I was ready for it.  My local shop has a bottle of ECBP $65 and 2 bottles of the EC 18 $130. I curious about the EC18, but am having a hard time pulling the trigger. It's one of those things where it's there and I would hate to miss an opportunity, but is it worth the price point. 

 

I know we all have different tastes, but what's the overall consensus on this? Is there anything I should look for in terms of lot or barrel on this?

Edited by MelissaM
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General consensus is that this is overpriced at $130. There are, however, very few 18-year-old bourbons. It could be worth it if you're interested in trying a very old (possibly over aged) bourbon.  

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I have enjoyed several EC18's , but they don't hold a candle to the ECBP's. ECBP is 1/2 the price too. Quite possibly the best value out there right now.

 

EC18 is a single barrel, so each one varies. Sometimes dramatically. ECBP is a small batch, so they are more consistent.

 

If your really intrigued by EC18 then buy one & taste it. Good Luck on that particular barrel.

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Also keep in mind that when you drink Willett or Michters you may very well be drinking Heaven Hill product a la Elijah Craig. No way to know since both of those NDPs are good at secrets and / or deception and lies.

 

The EC line leans on oak. BT was my gateway bourbon but I probably drink more ECBP (diluted with water) than anything else at this point.

 

The EC18 is oaky but not overly so. Then again. I do like oaky bourbons (like EC21).

 

I don't hear of many people having anything negative to say about ECBP so maybe try that first. If you know you like a nice hint of oak, splurge for the 18.

 

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Wow guys, many thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. I was leaning towards buying in at the BP to test and going from there. I hate how limited things are, you pass something up and have to wait a year to get another go.  At the same time, I don't want to take something off of the shelf and find out I hate it when it could go to someone else. 

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Wow guys, many thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. I was leaning towards buying in at the BP to test and going from there. I hate how limited things are, you pass something up and have to wait a year to get another go.  At the same time, I don't want to take something off of the shelf and find out I hate it when it could go to someone else. 


I would definitely go for the ECBP, best bourbon I have had lately at any price.
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EC18 was one of my favorites when it was about  $35. It always had a unique oaky/cocoa flavor that I loved . I'd love to get some more but the new pricing is a bit salty for me. At $65 I'd be all over it . 

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It is extremely unlikely that you will find EC18 at $130 ever again. Buy one, taste it and then decide whether to buy the other. The trend is that prices are increasing. If there is a bust in bourbon pricing that will be great for all of us, but there are no signs of that happening. Also, buy that ECBP. It's a little over the $50-60 retail but not egregiously so and if you haven't had it you need to try it. I agree it's one of the top bourbons out there at any price and a value buy at retail. Enjoy!

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While you may not be ready, it never hurts to stash it away for a future day.

The taste profile definitely wasn't for everybody, but if you do like a dryer, woody whiskey, I never got the oak from it, but more often it was a cedar component, like a wooden pencil shaving. Weird, but very pleasant to drink. Highly aromatic in he nose also, it shines there.

It was fantastic at $45 back in the day, now, I'd take a pause if I came across one, but only because I have much of the old price bunkered.

B


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Not to derail the EC18 thread, but on my quest to get the ECBP I stumbled upon some EC12 that had been sitting in a less traveled LS. I grabbed both (the owner kind of pushed me to buy both as they had been sitting). Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised. That $130 PP is still hard to take, but maybe I'll grab it for my bday in January to celebrate. 

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  • 4 months later...

The Va ABC just started a lottery today for the Elijah Craig 18 year old. They have 138 bottles that will go for $129.99 per.

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1 hour ago, DCFan said:

The Va ABC just started a lottery today for the Elijah Craig 18 year old. They have 138 bottles that will go for $129.99 per.

"To be eligible to participate in a Virginia ABC lottery for limited availability products, individual customers must be residents of Virginia"

:( Well..dang.

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15 hours ago, Clueby said:

"To be eligible to participate in a Virginia ABC lottery for limited availability products, individual customers must be residents of Virginia"

:( Well..dang.

 

I'm always willing to help a brother out. :D

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$129.99 is a lot better than the $250.00 I was quoted last week.

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17 minutes ago, CardsandBourbon said:

$129.99 is a lot better than the $250.00 I was quoted last week.

Well that is one advantage to a control state. You're not likely to find any of the limited availability products, but they'll be at retail if you can. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

I for one am looking forward to buying either an 18 or 23 this fall (according to my local store).  My son-in-law and I recently opened an EC21, Barrel #10 that I acquired a couple of years ago.  We did a taste comparison to the standard offering along with a bottle of Barrel Strength (Batch B517). The 21 was one of the finest and smoothest bourbons I've ever had (comparing to ER17 for instance) and clearly head and shoulders above the other offerings.  I did not find it oakey at all.   The tasting was to celebrate the birth of my first grandson and as an added bonus we noted the barrel was put up into bottles in the same year my son-in-law was born.   All in all a good reason to celebrate.

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I ain't buyin' no EC18 at 130, although I got a chance to try an original batch in Malaysia of all places and really liked it. Would have bought a bunch of that at $50.

 

I remember buying an EC21 for some high price a while back to see what the fuss was about. And I didn't like it.  It was a powerful lesson that I still keep in mind.

 

I don't think EC is my bag. I've liked a few ECBPs here and there, but none of them have ever made me crazy to get more, and I've left 'em on the shelf at $65.

 

Decide if you're in love with the 12yr old (if you can find 'em) profile before you shell out on anything older and more expensive would be my advice.

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17 minutes ago, The Black Tot said:

I ain't buyin' no EC18 at 130, although I got a chance to try an original batch in Malaysia of all places and really liked it. Would have bought a bunch of that at $50.

 

I remember buying an EC21 for some high price a while back to see what the fuss was about. And I didn't like it.  It was a powerful lesson that I still keep in mind.

 

I don't think EC is my bag. I've liked a few ECBPs here and there, but none of them have ever made me crazy to get more, and I've left 'em on the shelf at $65.

 

Decide if you're in love with the 12yr old (if you can find 'em) profile before you shell out on anything older and more expensive would be my advice.

Preach it brother!  I like the 12 yr (have about 1/3 of a 750 left and one handle bunkered) but I couldn't see paying more than five times as much for the EC18.  Maybe it was 5 times better than the 12 but I wasn't about to shell out $250 to find out.

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On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 9:45 PM, jsrudd said:

General consensus is that this is overpriced at $130. There are, however, very few 18-year-old bourbons. It could be worth it if you're interested in trying a very old (possibly over aged) bourbon.  

I'd say it's worth the price for the first bottle to learn what it is.  It is rather unique.  Now for the second bottle?

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  • 2 years later...

My bottle of EC18 is smoother than the Barrel Proof rendition.  Not as oaky which is a bad thing since I like the big oaky nature of EC.  I do detect a slight paint thinner hint on the nose like fresh varnish.  I figured that was a side effect of time in the wood.  It is not as hot or high proof as the ECBP.  It does have some layers that take time to unfold.  A pour should be sipped over a longer period just to allow it to awaken.  

 

My bottle is getting down to about half way now having been sampled with friends a few times.  So, not sure what effect that will have on the remainder.  I love the golden hue of the juice.  But my lasting impression is the I like the big oak and vanilla caramel of the bbl proof a bit better.  

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