Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

[@truthsproofsfirewaterrevie8853]

Great Review! I do miss the old bottle and that age statement. Store picks of the current Elijah Craig bring me back in time to that old bottle.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I love store picks. They certainly bring flavours and notes to talk about, as long as the stores can bring them out for a reasonable price. Thanks for dropping in! Enjoy the weekend.

[@distlledbrewedreviewed]

you picked a good one tonight my friend, great review. Cheers!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Thanks. This one is a classic. I hope you are enjoying the weekend!

[@willjones9996]

He was a baptist preacher in Kentucky

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Cool!

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Glad to hear you can get it for a reasonable price, in the US it is often on sale for $22 and a great value for that price. You are correct I think that the 12 remained on the shelf longer in Canada perhaps the stores had a large stock of it on hand when it was discontinued. I got into Whiskey just a little to late to get the 12, I suspect a big motivation for going NAS was to save the 12 year old stock for the barrel proof that still has 12 year in the label. The small batch is very nice and depending on the day I get creme brûlée and toasted marshmallows. Cheers

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Yes!! I can get that too if I've had a couple pours after dinner. Excellent tasting notes and when those come through, it's hitting a "sweet" spot I would suggest. Thanks for sharing!

[@joseroque1082]

Great great great review WN thank you

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@graemeyoung5280]

Jon that is a great video, I do so much love bourbons in the heat of the summer!! ECSB is just a true classic drink. Love the flavour profile as it is just so classic! Thanks for that!!!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

You are most welcome! Cheers to the weekend!

[@nathanwelton1385]

Been wanting to try this for some time, picked up a bottle $20 off at liquer depot. Poured a glass along with your review. Happy New Year!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I hope you enjoyed it. Cheers!

[@ashparmar7699]

Excellent review

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!

[@Del-Canada]

Have yet to try bourbon. Picked a bottle of this up the other day and grabbed a bottle of Bear Crick, Rustle Naptha, Red Deacon, Willow Seeds and Misty Deep 12 year old. Can't wait to try them this winter on an extra cold night.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Awesome. I hope you enjoy!

[@Del-Canada]

@@WhiskyNeighbour I have been sober since I was forty(ten years ago) but am looking to get back into it but only sipping. Not looking to get hammered anymore. Bourbon is something that has been on my bucket list for centons so I think this winter I may cave and give a few of them a go. Good video BTW. Gonna subdistillate.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@Del-Canada I hope it is an excellent winter for you. Great to stay clear for so long. Good for your your health I imagine!

[@fishingwithshawno]

Nice review Jon. Just playing catch up on your videos. I like the ECSB quite a bit. I feel it is pretty good value for your dollar. Cheers!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Clearly I do too. The 12 is a bit better, but the small batch is certainly enjoyable!

[@prometheusred6919]

I’m so glad I found your channel. I love what you do thank you for doing it. I look forward to watching all of your reviews. You seem like a guy I’d love to sit and drink and talk about life with. Great times! Subbed.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Glad you found the channel too! Do you enjoy all whiskey or do you have a preference? Thanks for the sub!

[@prometheusred6919]

Currently I’m exploring bourbon’s with a slight detour into scotch, however I have yet to find a scotch I can say I really like. Not sure but I think what draws me to bourbon specifically is the sweet and spicy (caramel, cinnamon flavors), which none of the scotches I’ve tried seen to have.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@prometheusred6919 Very fair, spicy and sweet is a little difficult to find in scotch. Usually you can chase down sweet, like a light Speyside or full ex-sherry, or spicy like something finished in French oak or funky with a little peat. However, none of them have the high sweetness from corn and spice from fresh oak or rye. Well ... not many! Have you tried Glenfiddich 14? It brings in a little more bourbon oak than most and is fairly light. Other wise, I might try a few heavily sherried drams, unless wine notes put you off. Something like GlenDronach, GlenFarclas, or Aberlour. Spice Tree from compass box might also be a good dram to try, but depends on your market. Thanks again for dropping in!

[@foodquig]

I made a similar video, but I opened both bottles at the same time so that neither had any advantage over the other when it came to exposure to the air... I found them to be about equal in terms of smoothness or harshness, but like you said, something was missing in the non age stated small batch. What the twelve had going for it was a greater richness and more intensity in the flavors... I still have almost a full bottle remaining of the twelve, and haven't been able to obtain it since the Spring of 2018 when I got the last one that I could find.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

That would be a much better comparison. I did what I could with what I had. Still enjoy the 12 more than the small batch, but the small batch had the right flavours.

[@WhiskyJason1]

nice review - honeypot store - love it

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I love finding those . Off the beaten path where whisky can sit and wait for me to pick it up!!

[@Christian_from_Copenhagen]

ECSB was my first great bourbon experience. Great review!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Cheers to a great memory!!

[@michaelpurtee177]

Thanks for the great review Jon and your thoughts on this one. I have a bottle of this but haven't gotten around to opening it just yet. After your review, I will be trying this soon! As an afterthought, I have had trouble finding any Elijah Craig here recently, so I'm glad I picked up the ECSB when I did.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I hope you enjoy it when you get to it , good thinking to pick it up when you could.

[@Robert_Fiori]

Thanks Jon. I have been popping into small liquor stores without luck hoping to find an old 12yo EC ignored at the back of a shelf somewhere. I gave up, but based on your review I don’t feel so disheartened now. If the difference is subtle and only noticeable when compared directly in a taste test then I’m hardly fussed any longer. I’ll keep enjoying my small batch in the knowledge it’s good stuff. Cheers

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Well, it's just my opinion. I like the EC 12 better, but they share the same core flavours. Keep an I out, they still show up! Good luck.

[@Sowbert]

looking forward to this review as im yet to try Elijah Craig

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I hope it helps you when considering picking up a bottle. I think it's a solid Bourbon for the price!

[@Sowbert]

Whisky Neighbour I’m from the uk and bourbon is more expensive here apart from buffalo trace they almost give that away but I like BT so I’m not complaining anyway im going on amazon to order some Elijah Craig . One other question you seem to like Rye as well have you ever tried the wild turkey 101 Rye im debating ordering a bottle of that but it’s expensive?

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@Sowbert Price is such a strange thing with whisky. Sometimes it seems like I can pick up Scotch for less than people in the UK, while at other times, it's easily twice the price! I do hope you enjoy this. I would suggest it is noticeably more oaky than BT. I do love Rye and have tried many different bottles. However, I have yet to try WT 101 Rye. I'm sure I will though, perhaps in the next few months! Thanks for dropping in.

[@northernninety7]

I just picked up a bottle, I haven't tried it yet.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. A favorite of mine. Cheers!!

[@northernninety7]

@@WhiskyNeighbour Holy smokes this stuff is smoother and less bitter than my 90 proof Russell's Reserve 10 year which is my budget option. The smell is surprisingly easy on the nose for the proof its in. Ive been looking for a good budget bottle as a go to unlike my 50-60 dollar bottles I have that I dont want to have to replace often. This might be the one. I'll have to do a side by side comparison.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@northernninety7 that is a promising start!

[@bourbonbuddies836]

Good price for a good bourbon! Cheers!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Agreed!!

[@davidbroughall3782]

In my limited examination of bourbon, I find I enjoy this one most. Will definitely be the bottle I empty first.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I continue to just relax and enjoy this one! Cheers!

[@davidbroughall3782]

@@WhiskyNeighbour I'm thankful that our Ontario liquor stores remain open so I can replace it. A bit pricey at $50, but alas, we must render unto Caesar.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@davidbroughall3782Lol! I'm not sure I've heard it said that way before, but yes, I would agree!

[@xPhillMcDx]

I just bought this bottle last week as I found it on sale for $35 and desperately wanted it for the collection. I havent watched many reviews on it, but know its on every list of best budget bourbons. I will admit, I was a bit disappointed, I really didnt find it had much depth in flavor although Im still learning. Glad I got it on sale but will be giving this bottle some time before I try again to see if it open up at all. Edit: I found Knob creek also on sale this weekend for $35 and would MUCH prefer it over the EC small batch. Great video!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I continue to enjoy EC, but recently have been into the KC 9 year. Really enjoying that! Thanks for sharing your a bit of your journey. I am having a similar experience with Four Roses small batch. I paid $55 for it and was so excited to try. I am finding it very flat, yet almost everyone online loves it. Time to let it set for a while I think. Cheers!

[@whosafraidoferiknrding4470]

Really am enjoying your reviews, John! Which bourbon do you prefer, the Elijah Craig Small Batch or the Wild Turkey Barrel Proof? Thinking about picking one up for this weekend.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Elijah Craig carries more dark fruit and cooked cinnamon for me, while Wild Turkey Rarebreed has brighter spice, more oak, and length. A tough call. If you are going to want to pour over ice, would say Wikd Turkey. Otherwise I would lean toward EC for just slow sipping neat.

[@whosafraidoferiknrding4470]

@@WhiskyNeighbour thank you, sir!

[@humanonearth1]

I know what's holding you back with the new bottle, it's probably like 2-4 years. I loved that 12 year bourbon, unfortunately, others caught on and the price just skyrocketed, now it's not even labelled with an age stamp. Such is a sign of the times. Everything really comes out with the older expressions, just that extra 2 - 4 years. You get the ethanol and alcohol aspects recede. But ya that 12 year is super. Strong and exemplary for a good bourbon. Very special that 12 year Craig. Miss it. If I only knew back then...

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I heard a rumour they were looking to bring back the 12. Totally rumour though, and I am doubtful.

[@humanonearth1]

​@@WhiskyNeighbour One can dream. Unfortunately, it will likely be priced accordingly. I guess it's fair. When something makes it's mark. It deserves that higher price. It's a recognition of how remarkable it is, as much as it stings.

[@Old_SnakeTwitch]

Small batch is my favourite bourbon so far (if you dont include Jack Daniels Single Barrel) but its a bit light. Unfortunatley the SAQ dosent even offer anything but the regular small batch 😢 I do love a strong cinnamon though.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Cool, I continue to enjoy EC, but I miss their 12. I wonder I'd the SAQ will carry the new JD Bonded release. The Triple Mash is nice IMO

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

Hmmmm... I may have to do a re-review of this one. I kind of sang it praises on my channel, but you have nailed it John. The hotness is the more youthful spirit I believe. I may be wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that there are bourbons younger than 6years mixed in. One viewer on my review said he never buys it anymore because Heaven Hill is selling an inferior product at the same price as a 12-year age stated one. 🤷‍♂️

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Since posting the review, I've been sipping only this and I have to say the difference continues. Mostly on the heat/oak. The NAS is much hotter and less oak than the 12 year old. The 12 is just ... well it's great bourbon!!

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

Right on Neighbour! This (NAS version) is $60 + tax here in Victoria, BC . I often have to pass on it due to the higher price point. I can get HP12 for $62 + tax here. I really like it though. I’ve heard the 12-year is legendary. Want to trade samples for something? 😉

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I'd love to if I had a deeper bottle. This one is just about toast. I poured a couple off of it after the review. I was keeping it till I could compare, now it is just about at rest. Sorry. I just heard a rumour about another couple of bottles in a town just West of me. If it turns out, maybe I'll have another to trade with!!

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

Whisky Neighbour I was only joking my friend, but wow! If you find that again, and there are 2, could you please pick one up for me. I can e-transfer right away! My brother lives in Calgary so maybe we can work something easy out!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@TheWhiskyExplorer Sounds good. I hope to drive out there this weekend. I'll let you know what I find. Also, for DM I'm on twitter or Instagram as whiskyneighbour. Might be better for addresses etc.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Can you hit me up on Instagram, or Twitter? Or even just email? I would like to have a private chat. Thanks.

[@guyfrompei]

Great review! How many open bottles do you tend to have at any given time? Or do you just open everything?

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

A couple of years ago I realized I was heading towards shelves and shelves of open bottles. That works for some, but I actually have a small place and we don't really have space for that kind of display. Now I try to keep the open bottles down to about 20. Still too many, but seems reasonable. You?

[@guyfrompei]

@@WhiskyNeighbour yeah, I too was headed down the road of open bottles everywhere! I got a bit nervous about oxidation because it takes me a while to go through a bottle so now I try to keep it down to 25-30 open bottles...and I also feel that's a bit much, but I really like to have a variety of options when deciding what to pour. It's a delicate balance :)

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@guyfrompei (It seems like our messages are cut off). For a while I was trying to gas and tape, but now I'd rather finish a bottle within a year or two. Yes, they change, but not so much that I no longer enjoy the bottle and many seem to get better. Especially heavily sherried whisky. At least IMO!

[@michaelmuradov5935]

Thanks for the review. I live in the Edmonton area which store were you referring to for $38? I just bought this in WEM for $60. Got ripped off!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

$60 is high. It is usually between $46 - 52. If you are willing to come to St. Albert, it is $38 including tax. Here: 30 Gate Ave, St. Albert, AB T8N 4K1 (St. Albert Inn and Suits Liqour)

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Just in general, I think the best prices in town are at Chateau Louis unless there is a sale somewhere. A great place to check what prices "should be" is zyn.ca

[@michaelmuradov5935]

@@WhiskyNeighbour Appreciate the tip. Thank you!

[@brianez1980]

The timing of this is hilarious. I just finished my first glass of a store select bottle of Elijah as I was about to start this. I've had the Barrel Proof and it's a very intense, spicy heat all the way through. The first sip I remember choked me and that never really happens to me.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

How perfect! Though I expect the store pick had a little more flavour! Hope you have a great long weekend.

[@brianez1980]

@@WhiskyNeighbour I hope to & hopefully the same finds you. I"m finishing a glass of The Sexton. Don't have much experience with Irish, only had Jameson before. This Sexton is quite good.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@brianez1980 I have seen that on shelves, maybe I'll need to pick up a bottle. Sounds good. Cheers!

[@brianez1980]

@@WhiskyNeighbour it is a sweet drink, not sugary sweet, their website says honeycomb. It's very subtle. It has a weird heat at the back, but it is not overwhelming. I find it to be a very easy thing to sip on a couple of times a night. There is also some of that Scotch like peat or that is the best I can describe it.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@brianez1980 Thank you for sharing. I am glad it is not overly sweet. Sometimes Irish is that for me.

[@bledderzemmer6912]

what is the year of the forty creek unity edition in your intro?

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

It came out in 2018, but I reviewed it in June 2019. Do you enjoy Forty Creek?

[@bledderzemmer6912]

@@WhiskyNeighbour haha no i am 14 years old. but I really like the bottle of the forty creek unity. i like to have a bottle in my room for decoration, but i prefer an irish or scotch whiskey in a bit of the same shape bottle as the forty creek unity. do you know of an irish or scotch whiskey bottle in that shape?

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@bledderzemmer6912 oh, sorry I do not know of any. We’ll chat more in a few years maybe when we can chat whisky. Take care.

[@bledderzemmer6912]

@@WhiskyNeighbour alright!

[@carlh4350]

I really enjoy this bourbon. It's in my top tier of bourbon under $30. Heck, it's even better to me than some that are double the price.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Awesome!! I love having a good bottle under $30. I think I am even a bit more relaxed when drinking it! Cheers to the weekend!

[@carlh4350]

@@WhiskyNeighbour my 3 favorite under $30 are 1. buffalo trace, for when i just want something simple but good. 2. Elijah Craig, for when I'm looking for something more complex. 3. Wild turkey 101, for when i want more zing. Jon, you have a great weekend too. Thanks for the videos. I always enjoy watching them.

[@djbeacon6895]

@@carlh4350 Carl, great Top 3 under $30. I just enjoy drinkin' BT rather than sippin'. Too bad the Weller stuff is so tough to find even though MSRP is under $30. Glad we have MANY choices at reasonable prices! CHEERS!

[@carlh4350]

@@djbeacon6895 cheers to having so many great choices 👍.

[@PalJoey-rm2yh]

Hold on to that 12 year bottle. They're supposed to be restarting EC 12 this coming year after catching up with their supply/demand situation. It would be important to compare the two 12 samples.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Totally agree. However this one is too "far gone ". Hopefully someone has an unopened bottle to do that comparison. Thanks for dropping in.

[@carlh4350]

@PalJoey1957 - where did you hear they were bringing back the age statement? Thats great. First knob creek small batch going back to 9 years now EC. I'm liking this trend.

[@PalJoey-rm2yh]

@@@carlh4350 - I went in search of corroboration and have not been able to find any. Can't remember the person who said it originally. I hope I haven't just repeated a rumor.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@PalJoey-rm2yh based on a tip from a comment here, I drove out to a near by town and purchased another bottle! Now I can hold on till the next 12 year ...

[@djbeacon6895]

Jon, Great review. I do enjoy this SmB and haven't tried the older 12 year version. You can't go wrong, BUT the ECBP at about 2X the price is worth it to me. I'm cheap but would rather have one of the ECBP than 2 of these SmB. I went kinda crazy and bought 5 at $60 so haven't bought any more in about 9 months. Will look at the C919 in a few months. I enjoy more than the Booker's and the Booker's is like $80 to 90 around here.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Thanks! I really need to get some ECBP, I just can't find any around here!! High praise too. Booker's is excellent barrel proof liquid!

[@adambaker9702]

Will this small batch be good with some pepsi?

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

It would certainly hold up well. The spice note is excellent for cocktails

[@garyshaw9912]

Heresy!

[@peterwhite507]

The only province I have seen ECBP is Ontario, however it is $150. Heaven Hill products are way over priced across Canada.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Ouch! I might need to figure out how to get to the US for this and a few other bottles. Cheers!

[@aricgoss]

Welcome my dek

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I do say that very quickly!

[@simondellvecchia5233]

their website says, made from 8 to 12 year old stuff

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Thanks for sharing!

[@simondellvecchia5233]

@@WhiskyNeighbour no problem, thanks for reviewing it

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@simondellvecchia5233 always a pleasure to talk whisky . Do you enjoy EJ SMB?

[@simondellvecchia5233]

@@WhiskyNeighbour yes even though i am a scotch fan and only like bourbon if its barrel proof or near to it, the elijah craig packs a decent punch and for it being 8 to 12 years which according to a lot of distillers, is the sweet spot for bourbon its pretty good value also

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@simondellvecchia5233 I agree. The virgin oak char and southern heat work fast! Cheers!

[@slowjamcdub]

The more you drink of this stuff the better it gets! 🤔🤔🤔

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Awesome!

[@nredman]

I have the small batch. I just can’t get into bourbon. Everyone I buy is “ok” at best. Just doesn’t do it for me like a good single malt scotch.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

It's good to know where your taste lies! Stick to what you enjoy, and just dip into other pools every now and then to see if anything has changed. I know my palate has changed a lot over the years and I appreciate some bottles now that I did not earlier. The small batch here is a little rough, but I think it has many classic bourbon flavours to enjoy

[@marks4471]

Ha, that accent...I could tell you're Canadian.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Proud to be sir!

[@richardarmitage5976]

Try it blind maybe.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I do need too. I'd like to shoot a blind with about four similar bourbons.