Distiller: Heaven Hill, Bernheim Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky.
Mashbill: 78% corn, 12% barley, 10% rye
Bottled 11/13/2019
Barrel #4724
45% abv/90 proof
Elijah Craig (1738 –1808) was a famous Baptist preacher in Virginia – in an area of Virginia that later became the state of Kentucky. He is popularly credited with the invention of bourbon whiskey, although historians note that when he opened his distillery, 1789, there already were a number of people making bourbon. Chuck Cowdery wrote a blog post about this, Elijah Craig Did Not Make the First Bourbon.
For whiskey drinkers, Elijah Craig is a premium brand of bourbon from the Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery (Bardstown, Kentucky.) It is an older sibling of their standard offering, Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
Let’s get into this!
Elijah Craig 18 Year Single Barrel Bourbon is a premium product, and since it is single barrel, the flavor profile could vary quite a bit.
Nose – Orange, oak, a hint of floral and chocolate notes
Palate – leather, sweetness, oak, and of course some rye spice.
Thoughts? I love this, this is a great bourbon whiskey. Normally I prefer younger bourbons – the oak can be a bit much – but this works well for me. Balanced and presentable. The only problem is that this is a $150 product at 90 proof, and isn’t tasting far superior to regular products that we can get in the $40 to $60 price range. And the regular Elijah Craig is under $30 everywhere I go, at the same proof. I love this single barrel product but have a hard time justifying the price.
I rate this as a 4/6 – and if you’re a big Elijah Craig fan this could be an easy 5/6 for you. But for the price it is hard to go higher. (see below for explanation.)
Rating scale
1. This is rotgut. Drain pour.
2. Not so great. This could stand to use some improvement. It isn’t ready for prime time.
3. I enjoyed it yet I’m probably not going to buy a bottle.
4. This is a good whiskey, I’ll purchase a bottle for my shelf.
5. A really good whiskey, so good that I’d always like one of these on my shelf.
6. One of the very best that I’ve had.
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