Elijah Craig Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
47% ABV
$25-$30
Website
What the Distillery Says
The award-winning Bourbon that started it all. Our signature Small Batch owes its distinctive warm spice & subtle smoke flavor to Level 3 charred oak barrels. Handcrafted by our Master Distillers, it’s a favorite of Bourbon connoisseurs and casual whiskey fans alike.
HOW IT’S MADE
Elijah Craig was the first to char oak barrels, which earned him the name, “The Father of Bourbon.” Today, all Elijah Craig Bourbons are aged in Level 3 charred new oak barrels. This level of char releases flavor compounds & aromas such as caramelized sugars, vanillin, wood smoke & spice. Our Master Distillers then hand-select each barrel to create our signature, award-winning Small Batch Bourbon.
TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Burnished copper
AROMA: Delightfully complex with notes of vanilla bean, sweet fruit, and fresh mint
TASTE: Smooth and warm; pleasantly woody with accents of spice, smoke, and nutmeg
FINISH: Long, sweet, and slightly toasty
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel corn, vanilla wafers, musty oak, subtle spice notes of mint and cinnamon.
Palate: Vanilla, honey, caramel, nutmeg, brown sugar, hint of clove, cinnamon, oak and pepper.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with vanilla, nutmeg, oak and mint.
Comments: I wish I had a retail bottling (still) of the 12 yr age stated version for a blind side-by-side comparison, but there’s more than one saying about wishing. This definitely strikes me as similar to what I recall, maybe a touch less oak which I don’t mind. The caramel corn note isn’t meant to imply it is young, as ‘corn’ is one of those notes that you get with younger bourbon – just the type of caramel (what can I say – when I nosed it, first thing that came to mind was caramel corn!) I know folks hate the loss of the age statement – and I’m in that club as well (hell, if they had to come out with a new version and just said it was a 9 or 10 yr, I’d rather see that than the complete removal). But for the money, this is still a pretty solid bourbon.