Elijah Craig 18 Single Barrel

[hoosierboy]

Well, my favorite whiskey by far is Elijah Craig 12 - almost heaven on earth. I had no idea they also had an 18-year-old until a few months ago, but the store was sold out. I finally was able to pick up a bottle. My hands almost shake every time I pick it up, and I haven't even tasted it yet. It even has a date when it was barreled hand written on the back, and it does look like it was hand written, not printed - barreled on 12-17-81, barrel No. 995

Heck, if it was barreled at the end of 1981, wouldn't that make it over 22 years old?

I find a whiskey, bourbon or scotch, sitting in a barrel and maturing with time to be very romantic and fascinating.

I have to admit, I have not tasted too many bourbons and scotches, but from what I have tasted, Jack Daniels would be number two on my list, with Elijah Craig way ahead as my #1 bourbon.

I'm tempted not to open this bottle, just let it sit above the fire place mantle in all it's beauty and glory. But, it was only $40.00; I can always buy another bottle.

This weekend, I drink it!

[wadewood]

Welcome aboard. The bottle lists the date is was barreled, but not the date it was bottled or transferred out of barrel. So, it could have been sitting in the bottle since 1999. Bourbon does not continue age in the bottle.

Try some more bourbons and I'm sure we can bump Jack Daniels completely off your list of favorites

[jeff]

Heck, if it was barreled at the end of 1981, wouldn't that make it over 22 years old?

You would have to know the bottling date to know for sure, but it is indeed 18yo. Your's was bottled about 4 years ago and has probably been in a distributors warehouse since then. Don't despair though, you have one fine bourbon in your hands. Enjoy

[cowdery]

I admire both the 12-year-old and 18-year-old Elijah Craig, but feel somebody should warn you that they are very different. Really two completely different whiskies. I think the 18-year-old is a mind blower. Even for someone who has tasted many different American whiskies, it gives you new ideas about how American whiskey can taste. I love it, but be prepared for a shock--a pleasant one, I hope.

[TrueBarrel]

I admire both the 12-year-old and 18-year-old Elijah Craig, but feel somebody should warn you that they are very different. Really two completely different whiskies. I think the 18-year-old is a mind blower. Even for someone who has tasted many different American whiskies, it gives you new ideas about how American whiskey can taste. I love it, but be prepared for a shock--a pleasant one, I hope.

I couldn't agree more. I followed the typical progression - bought the 18 after falling head over heals for the 12. The 18 is different in all respects - taste, balance, finish; but it's just great and I'm never without it.

[voigtman]

Completely agree with the above posts! As good as EC 12 is, I now always have EC 18 on hand, and the best part is I can get it for only $29 (compared to $20 for EC 12). Even better is that last month EC 18 was on sale for $25, so I did what was needful! I suggest opening up that Elijah Craig 18, for two reasons. First, it is easily worth $40, a price I would gladly pay if I couldn't get it cheaper. Second, I am still kicking myself for not trying it earlier in my bourbon explorations. I knew about it, but just didn't get around to it. ARRGGHH! BTW, my open bottle is barrel 917, barreled on 2-18-83, and I have another from this barrel bunkered, along with some from other barrels. You never know just what might happen from one barrel to the next, but Parker and Craig Beam can be trusted to do EC 18 right and I'm looking forward to opening one from another barrel to see what might be different. Cheers, Ed V.

[TNbourbon]

Goll darn ya! I'm one of the seeming few here who just can't get the hang of the EC12. I bought a bottle and have tried it three times, and I just don't care for it -- probably my least favorite bourbon ever. It's just different -- more stainless steel sink than oak barrel, to me. I'm planning to bring it to you fans at the Festival in September just to get rid of it. But now you say the EC18 (more expensive, I'll note!) is "really different". How different, Chuck? Enough that I should disregard my dislike for EC12 -- or am I likely to dislike the 18yo, too?

[cowdery]

Hard to tell. One thing I can guarantee, though, is that the 18-year-old unmistakenly expresses wood. One of the charms (I think) of EC 12 is that it doesn't express as much wood as you would expect from a 12-year-old. You can't say that about the 18-year-old.

[clayton]

Tim, I'm with you so far. I've opened a bottle of EC12 and it just doesn't sing for me. There's an odd tang to it that doesn't feel quite right on my palate. I find this odd because other HH products, notably the EWSB, feel right at home in my glass. The delicious EWSB has been one of my standard pours for the last couple weeks.

After reading these comments, I'm interested to try the EC18 to see if I like it any better. It might be awhile before I convince myself to perform this $38 experiment, though.

[brian12069]

The EC 12 has an aftertaste to me...it's probably the only bourbon I have ever had that I really didn't like.

[ratcheer]

And what you just said is odd, to me. In an old posting somewhere around here, I remember doing a direct one-on-one comparison of EC12 and EWSB. They were extremely similar, with the EWSB being slightly smoother, and slightly more sophisticated and deeper in flavor. I believe I concluded that while I could see that EWSB was objectively a little bit better, for the money I thought I would tend to buy EC12.

And that has held up through now. I usually have EC12 on hand, while that was my first and only bottle of EWSB. I was a bit sad when I took the last drops from the EWSB bottle, though.

Tim

[clayton]

The EWSB that I'm drinking is the '94, which by some reports is the best bottling yet. (I'm no expert, having had only this vintage.) There's a lovely, silky ginger note to the EWSB-94 that I find especially tasty. This isn't apparent to me in the EC12.

I'm going to dust off that EC12 this weekend and give it another taste. Maybe drinking the EWSB for awhile has warmed me up to it.

[Gillman]

Fully agree re the "silkiness and ginger" of EWSB '94 - couldn't put it better myself.

Regarding the EW 12 year old, I tend to agree with all assessments reported - some bottles are somewhat oaky, some just great, and some closer to the 18 year old profile (charred, "sooty"). I find each bottle of the 12 year old is different. Ditto the 18 year old. I may be one of the few people who has tasted, side by side, three bottles of the 18 year old - they were all sensibly different. There is of course a general profile.

Gary

[doubleblank]

I'm there with you Tim. I don't get the EC 12yo and find the 18yo too woody for my tastes....but I find most older bourbons too one dimensional and woody. But I really enjoy the EWSB's. There's a bourbon for everybody, but the EC's aren't for me.

Randy

[TNbourbon]

I, too, am a big fan of the EWSBs -- I've finished bottles of the '89 and '93, and have the '94 on hand to try next -- but I don't see the similarities others here express with the EC12. If a tongue can have a blind spot, I guess mine has one here -- though I'm glad to discover I'm not the only one, apparently.

[robbyvirus]

I find each bottle of the 12 year old is different. Ditto the 18 year old. I may be one of the few people who has tasted, side by side, three bottles of the 18 year old - they were all sensibly different.

I completely agree. I've had two bottles of the EC 18 and they were both incredibly different, so much so that it's hard to believe they were the same brand. The first bottle had a distinctively smoky flavor and aroma, which was quite pleasing. The second bottle had an incredibly heavy woody taste...woodier than any other bourbon I've tasted. I think Chuck characterized this bourbon once as "challenging" and I think that hits it on the head.

[Gillman]

While challenging, at times one has great experiences with these bourbons. Their craft character precludes strict uniformity. That is a good thing. It is interesting to chart the differences. Probably through various methods they could get a more uniform taste but I like the singularity of these whiskies. There is an analogy to the fine single malts here, in my view. Also, recent bottles of EW 12 years old strike me as better than ever.

Gary

[angelshare]

Tim, for what it's worth, I would go so far as to say if you don't like EC 18, it will have little if anything to with your impressions of EC 12. I like EC 12 a lot and could probably have it as my everyday pour, but I have to really be in an EC 18 mood to pour it.

Tina on the other hand LOVES EC 18 and could probably drink it every day if we won a lifetime supply from HH. EC 12 doesn't seem to grab her that much.

A rambling echo of the above sentiments that they sure seem very different to us.

[jeff]

I like both the 12 and the 18, but both in very specific ways. The 12yo is always served over ice and the 18yo with a fine cigar. The ice seems to mellow some of the more unusual flavors in the 12yo while a cigar masks some of the woodiness of the 18yo, letting more of the vanilla and caramel shine through. I also tend to prefer the 12yo during the warmer months and the 18yo in late fall and winter. YMMV.

[OneCubeOnly]

I like both the 12 and the 18, but both in very specific ways. The 12yo is always served over ice and the 18yo with a fine cigar. The ice seems to mellow some of the more unusual flavors in the 12yo...

That's interesting that you ice down your EC12 Jeff, because that's exactly the way I prefer it as well! I recall Mark mentioning that's how he drinks it also.

[voigtman]

hoosierboy, I hope you've tried the Elijah Craig 18 by now! As you can see, opinions vary greatly, but, personally, I love it and hope you do too! Tastes are so idiosnycratic it's absolutely amazing, and partly genetic. A colleague gave me some "P.T.C. paper" for "use in medical genetics". It is a vial of what look like litmus paper test strips, containing phenylthiourea-phenylthiocarbamide (don't ask!). The vial states that "This paper is bitter or tasteless, depending on heredity of taster." You simply put a test strip on your tongue and WHAM! My wife and I find this to be EXTREMELY bitter tasting while most people I've tried it on find it tastes ... like ordinary paper. Maybe this explains why I love the smell of freshly ground coffee (I would say this is one of my favorite smells ) and the smell of freshly brewed coffee (AHHH! ), but do not drink coffee, more than on rare social occasions, because of its bitter taste to me (Ihave to add sugar and milk/cream/creamer). So if someone does not like EC 18 and/or EC 12, no problem: their preferences are every bit as valid as mine.

I am slowly being forced to the conclusion that I like old whisk(e)y, in particular, "tincture of oak"! I know Chuck says s****h drinkers REALLY don't get old bourbons, but I seem to be the exception to the rule, and I'm willing to bear this cross, so long as long as I can marginally afford it! Of course, I also love Stagg 2003 and other full-bodied bourbons, but EC 18 is just great (I have a pour of it in hand as I type this) and there is nothing to complain about other than that it is not available in home-delivered carboys! Cheers, Ed V.

[clayton]

Last night, I pulled the bottle of EC12 from the back of the shelf to give it another try after reading this thread and having enjoyed the EWSB'94 for a couple weeks.

My first impressions upon originally opening the bottle a month or so ago had been twofold: one, it was a bit bland; two, a strange aftertaste put me off.

I'm pleased to say that the EC12 has grown on me! I was able to notice similarities in the glass to the EWSB. Some of the ginger that I find so prominent in the EWSB was there, although a bit attenuated, along with more char and wood.

I think part of what's happened for me is that I've been drinking a more rounded variety of bourbons. I'm still new at this, and had mostly been drinking the wheated Van Winkles when I started. The EC12 has an entirely different taste profile, and it seems that I wasn't entirely ready for it. Happy, that is no longer the case.

Thanks for the push to re-open my dusty EC12, folks. I'll be putting it into regular rotation.

[OneCubeOnly]

There's definitely a family resemblance of EWSB '94 to EC12. To me it seems like most of the same flavors are there, only in different proportions. I'm one of the (presumably few) people who actually prefer the EC12 to the Single Barrel. While they're both fine bourbons, whichever notes I'm really liking in the EC12 seem too soft in the SB.

I've never had the 18yo, but this thread is giving me a craving....

[bobbyc]

I've never had the 18yo, but this thread is giving me a craving....

I really like the 18 year and unlike Gary I haven't had a 3 way side by side but I do have a 2 way going. I opened a bottle some time ago to toast either BettyeJo's Birthday/Anniversary/Bourbonian of the Year, I forget which one now. Then at the Sampler, Bill Beam handed one off the Amelia and very little of it was drank at the Gazebo. I sometimes thought perhaps I had gotten an especially good bottle with the first one, now I think I got 2 in a row.Damn I'm going to have to buy another bottle to see how my luck holds! Maybe I like this one.........a lot!

[boone]

I opened a bottle some time ago to toast either BettyeJo's Birthday/Anniversary/Bourbonian of the Year, I forget which one now.

Yes...all of them Everybody knows that EC 18 is my favorite. I am bias as hell and ain't afraid to tell it ...Most everbody knows to toast me with EC 18 if they have in on hand

Bettye Jo