Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch C914 (6th retail release)
70.1% ABV
$45
Website
What the Distillery Says:
Named after the Father of Bourbon, Reverend Elijah Craig this limited release Small Batch, twelve year old Bourbon is bottled at Barrel Proof and without chill filtering, preserving the natural flavors produced during the aging process. At full Barrel Proof, you can enjoy the Bourbon much the same way our Master Distiller does when he samples straight from the barrel or, if you choose, add water to reduce the proof to your liking.
Color: Deep Amber
Aroma: Caramel with oak, fruit notes of apple and orange
Taste: Caramel, vanilla and butterscotch along with spices of black pepper and cinnamon in the back of the palate
Finish: Nice layered finish of all flavors; fades slowly with a hint of cool spearmint at the most lingering end
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich, slightly burnt toffee, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, dark chocolate, leather and tobacco.
Palate: Rich mouthfeel, dark chocolate, cocoa, oak, pepper, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and nutty notes.
Finish: Long, drying with oak, cocoa and baking spices.
Comments: Dubbed Hazmat, this sips lower (like 130), but approach with caution. Takes H₂O like a champ, and doesn’t alter the flavor profile much – but does help with tamping down the heat. These early Elijah Craig Barrel Proofs were not all universally tremendous, but by and large they were pretty damned good (although the first retail release honestly set the bar a bit too high).