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Rowan's Creek vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Rowan's Creek and Elijah Craig Small Batch are cut from similar cloth: two takes on traditional bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$40 – $50 vs. ~$28 – $35).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Rowan's Creek | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100.1 proof (50.0% ABV) +6 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$40 – $50 | ~$28 – $35 ~$14 less |
- Rowan's Creek does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Rowan's Creek
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Rowan's Creek Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/7 oak: Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
spice 7/5 spice: Rowan's Creek 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 2/4 nuttiness: Rowan's Creek 2 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Rowan's Creek 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Rowan's Creek 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Rowan's Creek 4 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- 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 Rowan's Creek if you want an herbal, minty, rye-forward Willett bottling with slightly more proof behind it.
- 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, old-fashioned, cocktails (Rowan's Creek); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).