Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel (vintage 2020)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV
$150
Website
What the Distillery Says:
Bottled solely from the contents of one expertly chosen barrel, this expression of Elijah Craig is the pinnacle of Bourbon craftsmanship. Bold, robust, and incredibly complex, 18-Year-Old presents a rare and unique opportunity to sip some of the oldest Bourbon in Kentucky.
Bourbon-making is an exercise in patience & perseverance. Out of the millions of barrels aging in Kentucky, only a small fraction are allowed to age as long as 18-Year-Old. In the beginning, we don’t know which barrels will be worthy of consideration. But time & expertise will tell. As they age, our barrels are meticulously sampled by our master tasters. Even after 18 years, some barrels won’t meet their high standards. Each single barrel is then individually dumped & bottled. The barrel number & bottling date is handwritten on the label.
TASTING NOTES
Color: Warm, deep leather.
Aroma: Aged oak, spiced vanilla, with notes of mint and chocolate.
Taste: Richly textured, nutty, and semisweet. Initial bursts of honey give way to toasted wood and pleasant char.
Finish: Lively and engaging, then lingers with vanilla and pepper.
What Gary Says
Nose: Toasted oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, honey, musty notes with a hint of citrus zest and leather.
Palate: Vanilla bean, caramel, oak, cocoa, black cherry, honey, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak, cocoa and tobacco.
Comments: I remember buying this back in 2012 for $50 (Richard reviewed it back in 2010, and noted it was ‘Widely Available’), and thinking it was too oaky for my palate. Still big oak, but my palate has evolved since and I’m better able to appreciate it. A lovely, balanced dram, although at current prices isn’t one I’ll be picking up again (but if you’re offering a pour of yours – I won’t necessarily say now!)