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Elijah Craig Small Batch vs Rowan's Creek
Elijah Craig Small Batch and Rowan's Creek are cut from similar cloth: two takes on traditional bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$28 – $35 vs. ~$40 – $50).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Elijah Craig Small Batch | Rowan's Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 100.1 proof (50.0% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$28 – $35 ~$14 less | ~$40 – $50 |
- Rowan's Creek 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
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Rowan's Creek
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch Rowan's Creek
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/4 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
spice 5/7 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 7 out of 10
nuttiness 4/2 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 2 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 6 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- Rowan's Creek: A small-batch Willett bottling that tastes rye-forward and herbal. Honey and caramel sit under mint, hay and warm spice, with a peppermint lift on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- Go with Rowan's Creek if you want an herbal, minty, rye-forward Willett bottling with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Rowan's Creek).