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Blanton’s Single Barrel vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Blanton’s Single Barrel and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Blanton’s Single Barrel | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 93 proof (46.5% ABV) | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$80 – $150 | ~$28 – $35 ~$84 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Blanton’s Single Barrel does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Blanton’s Single Barrel Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 6/4 fruit: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
oak 6/7 oak: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Blanton’s Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
heat 4/4 heat: Blanton’s Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- Blanton’s Single Barrel: The bottle that invented the single-barrel category and still trades largely on its horse-stopper cork and its scarcity. The whiskey itself is genuinely good — honeyed and citrus-led with nutmeg spice — but at secondary prices you are paying for the bottle as much as the pour.
- Elijah Craig Small Batch: A heavily oak-driven pour for the money, with vanilla bean and brown sugar riding on top of real char and smoke. The extra age shows up as wood depth rather than harshness.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Blanton’s Single Barrel if you want the original single-barrel presentation and a honeyed, citrus-led profile, and the hunt is part of the appeal.
- Go with Elijah Craig Small Batch if you want the best oak-forward value on the shelf, with more wood character than its price suggests.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Blanton’s Single Barrel); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).