🥃 Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel
The oldest permanent Elijah Craig version: a Kentucky bourbon from a single barrel aged 18 years; 45% ABV (90 proof); first released in 1994.
Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel is a bourbon from the Elijah Craig brand, aged for 18 years in a single barrel. Its strength is 90 proof, or 45% ABV. According to Drinkhacker, the version was first released in 1994, and for about three years before 2015 it was not produced because of a shortage of old barrels.
According to the brand's website, each bottle is filled from one selected barrel, and the barrel number and bottling date are written on the label by hand. Only a small share of barrels reaches such an age. It is bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky, as a Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
Why this matters to you. Each barrel is slightly different, so two bottles may taste different. Unlike Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, this bourbon is diluted to 45% ABV. Compare it with Elijah Craig Small Batch to see what a longer ageing adds. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 45% ABV (90 proof) |
|---|---|
| Cask type | one charred oak barrel |
| Minimum maturation | 18 years |
| Year founded | 1994 (Drinkhacker) |
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.143 (US), Kentucky Straight Bourbon |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Elijah Craig, 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Straight bourbon whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Blanton's Original Single Barrel, 🥃 Four Roses Single Barrel, 🥃 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, 🥃 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, 🥃 Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, 🥃 Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, 🥃 Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Elijah Craig 18 Year Old is a new release?
No. According to Drinkhacker, the version was first released in 1994; for a few years before 2015 it was not made because of a shortage of old barrels.
What does Single Barrel mean on the label?
The bottle is filled from one barrel; the barrel number and bottling date are written by hand.
What is the strength of Elijah Craig 18 Year Old?
90 proof, or 45% ABV, according to the brand's website and Drinkhacker.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Blanton's Original Single Barrel — The core Blanton's expression: single barrel bourbon at 93 proof (46.5% ABV), Mash Bill #2, aged in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Elijah Craig Small Batch · 🥃 Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel · 🥃 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof · 🥃 Elijah Craig Straight Rye · 🥃 Royal Challenge American Pride · 🥃 Four Roses Single Barrel
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Elijah Craig: 18-Year-Old Single Barrel (bottled from one barrel; barrel number and bottling date handwritten on the label; 90 proof)
- Drinkhacker: Review: Elijah Craig Single Barrel Bourbon 18 Years Old (12.11.2015; originally released 1994; about three years of hiatus; 90 proof)
- 27 CFR § 5.143 Whisky — standards of identity (USA, TTB): bourbon, rye, straight; text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)