Forget Blanton's: This Rival Bourbon Brings Stronger Flavor While Sparing Your Wallet

When Blanton's Single-Barrel first debuted in 1984, it cost $24. Now, over 40 years later, Elijah Craig Small Batch is offering a comparable bourbon at the long-gone Blanton's price point of yore. Blanton's is notoriously expensive and can be hard to track down (let alone authenticate). Luckily, dominating the $30 range, Elijah Craig offers a bourbon that rivals Blanton's and spares your wallet. No compromises necessary. 

Blanton's Single-Barrel bourbon's gem-like bottle with horse-and-jockey stopper makes a pride piece displayed on home bars. The bourbon is known for its signature tasting profile of toasted vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, baking spices, and oak. Blanton's Single-Barrel has slightly more pronounced fruit and char tones compared to Elijah Craig, as well as tones of orange peel, honey, and cinnamon on the nose. It clocks in mildly overproof at 46.5% ABV, and a 750-milliliter bottle fetches $149.99 on TotalBourbon (currently on sale for $104.89). Blanton's may be a consistent and impressive category pioneer, but its overall value is up for some debate. 

Not a far cry off — and for a fraction of the price – Elijah Craig Small Batch is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey at a comparable 47% ABV. Balanced yet lingering, it's aged for 8 to 12 years in level 3 charred oak barrels, which deliver warming spice and wood smoke on the palate. The nose leads with vanilla bean and ripe banana, deepening into a quintessential bourbon bouquet of oak, caramelized sugar, nutmeg, and vanillin on the palate. Elijah Craig Small Batch features a notably robust and round mouthfeel, which is perhaps its most marked difference compared to Blanton's, which ends in a crisp, dry finish. Nonetheless, the spirit remains complex enough for seasoned bourbon drinkers and accessible enough for casual fans alike.

It's worth noting the distinction between single-barrel and small batch bourbons. All spirits belonging to the bourbon class must be aged for at least two years in new charred-oak barrels. Small batch bourbons (like Elijah Craig) are made from a blend of spirits produced in a limited number of casks, thereby preserving product consistency. The next step up, single-barrel bourbons (like Blanton's) are unblended, bottled only from a single cask — a quality marker that is generally accompanied by a steeper retail price. In fact, Blanton's is known for being the first single-barrel distinction bourbon in existence, setting the category standard in 1984 when master distiller Elmer T. Lee bottled a batch of bourbon from one barrel. Still, whether you're sipping it on the rocks or using it as the base of a structurally-integral Old Fashioned, Elijah Craig Small Batch is a versatile yet consistent spirit that can get the job done without breaking any budgets. 

A Reddit thread dedicated to Elijah Craig Small Batch writes, "At $23 this is a constant in my cabinet. Great straightforward sipper that can easily handle a cube or two." Commenters echo, "This is like textbook bourbon to me. It's got some nice age to it, a good amount of oak, its sweet but not too much." Arguably best of all, this Blanton's-adjacent bourbon delivers impressive value for an accessible price point. A 750-milliliter bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch currently costs $26.99 at Target.