Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was the second bourbon that I’ve tried since jumping back in to the spirits world after many years away. With no age statement and bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV), it is distilled by Heaven Hill and is beautiful light copper/golden yellow/honey color. Its mash bill is 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye.
I opened the bottle on 17 September 2024 and did two subsequent tastings on 23 September and 8 October. All tastings used a Glencairn.
For the first tasting session, I tried it with and without water (Smartwater) using a Glencairn pipette to see how water affected its aroma and flavor profile. On the nose without water, the aroma profile was light with hints of fruit (crisp apple & ripe banana), vanilla, caramel, and no heavy alcohol smell. With one drop of water added, the fruit notes were still present, but the caramel and vanilla notes became more prominent.
On the palate without water, there was a hit of sweetness on the start of the sip that ran throughout until the swallow, mixing with a kick of peppery spice and alcohol heat, some nutmeg and baking spices, oak tannin bitterness, and perhaps a hint of mint. With a drop of water, the oak tannins and pepperiness remained strong with a hint of that sweetness and some vanilla. The oaky taste was very clear.
With two drops of water, the oak tannins and pepperiness were toned down a bit, but both were still noticeably present. A residual heat remained in the throat and upper chest after swallowing a sip.
During the second tasting, I drank the pour neat. The light, crisp, sweet-smelling fruits (apple and ripe banana) remained, as did the hints of caramel and vanilla. The fruitiness was dominant and there was still a very light alcohol aroma. An oaky aroma remained in the empty glass, transitioning eventually into a fruity brown sugar smell.
On the palate, the initial hit of fruity sweetness was followed with some alcohol and peppery spice, and oak tannin bitterness (not overpowering). On the back palate, there was a discernible, but light, smokiness, perhaps from the barrel charring. After swallowing, there was significant residual heat and pepperiness on my tongue, the roof of my mouth, and a warming in my upper throat. The dominant sensation of the sip after swallowing is that oak tannin bitterness, though it wasn’t overpowering (though it was prominent and remained on my palate for the medium finish.
The last tasting, which finished the bottle, was also taken neat with no resting in the glass. On the nose there was the light, sweet fruit with oak, hints of caramel and vanilla, brown sugar, and lighter alcohol than the first pour. The oak still stood out a lot to me. The nose was significantly less pleasing than that of Maker’s Mark bourbon.
On the palate, the flavor profile remained largely unchanged. The sip began with a hit of fruity/vanilla sweetness followed by pepper and alcohol heat with a lot of oaky tannin bitterness. There was a light smokiness on the back palate when swallowing a sip and the oak was dominant on the palate.
I think the oak charring notes in bourbons are the big flavor hurdle that I’ll need to tackle as I continue delving into the world of American whiskies, just like malt is the big hurdle for scotch whiskies and American single and blended malt whiskies.
UPDATED TASTING NOTES PROFILE – 29 December 2024:
I feel that my whisky palate (& more specifically my bourbon palate) has evolved & matured quite a lot since earlier this year. While this bourbon is still not my ideal flavor profile, I can see this being a good mixer for cocktails & I may keep it in mind for that purpose in the future. It wouldn’t be my first or second or third choice as a sipper, but it would be fine in a pinch.
Distilled by Heaven Hill, Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon has no age statement and a mashbill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. Bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV) using Kentucky limestone-rich water, the bourbon is a light copper color. According to Elijah Craig brand lore, its eponymous founder in 1789 was the first whisky distiller to age his distillate in newly charred American White Oak barrels, either because an accidental fire charred his aging barrels and he used them anyway or because he decided to age his whisky in former (charred) sugar barrels.
*60/100
COLOR: Light copper
NOSE: The aroma profile is quite light. Oak/barrel notes lead; light, sweet Orchard Fruits; hints of Caramel & Vanilla; light Brown Sugar; hint of Citrus; Black Pepper (particularly at the close of a sip); light Alcohol. Adding a couple drops of water raise the Caramel & Vanilla notes.
PALATE: Oak/Barrel notes most prominent with a mix of sweet Orchard Fruits, light Caramel & Vanilla, & Black Pepper. The alcohol note is light on the palate, just like the nose. The dominant flavor note is Oak/Barrel with light sweetness in the background. Sips close with Black Pepper & some warming Alcohol heat on the palate.
I feel that my whisky palate (& more specifically my bourbon palate) has evolved & matured quite a lot since earlier this year. While this bourbon is still not my ideal flavor profile, I can see this being a good mixer for cocktails & I may keep it in mind for that purpose in the future. It wouldn’t be my first or second or third choice as a sipper, but it would be fine in a pinch.
The bourbon coats the sides of the glass well & has good viscosity.
FINISH: Fairly short.
MOUTHFEEL: Good viscosity with some legs/tears
PRICE POINT (IN MY AREA): $30
VALUE: Good basic, introductory-level bourbon that is a serviceable, budget-friendly daily sipper & mixing bourbon for cocktails.
ALWAYS ON SHELF/BUY AGAIN? Maybe. If I bought a full-sized bottle, I would use it primarily as a budget-friendly mixing bourbon for cocktails. My preference for this role, however, is the introductory level Four Roses bourbon.
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