With a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, this special golf edition of Elijah Craig is first aged in a charred American White Oak barrel and then finished for 8 weeks with toasted sugar maple and toasted applewood staves separately before being vatted together (75% sugar maple & 25% applewood). It is bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV) and comes in a nice, pretty solid box.
This review is based on multiple separate notes-taking sessions over 3 months using Denver & Liely Bourbon glasses with varying resting/aeration times in the glass.
COLOR: Dark amber/Copper
AROMA PROFILE: Dark maple & dark honey with hints of apple, honey roasted nuts, honeyed caramel & vanilla (crème brûlée), caramelized brown sugar, light baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, light cloves) & some black pepper, & toasted oak.
PALATE: Dark maple & honeyed cocoa/dark chocolate, honey roasted nuts, crème brûlée, the baking spices from the nose & black pepper, a very prominent hit of toasted oak/barrel wood sugars sweetness with some oak tannins that balance the sweetness, caramelized brown sugar, dried cherries & cherry skins, sweet tobacco leaf, leather, & a light smokiness.
FINISH: 9-12 seconds
MOUTHFEEL/VISCOSITY: Medium-long viscosity coating the glass with very slow-forming tears & pearls / Nice & viscous, creamy/buttery/oily mouthfeel
VALUE: On the pricier side, but a very nice limited release sipper.
ALWAYS ON SHELF/BUY AGAIN? I bought a couple of reserve bottles since this is a limited release & I enjoy it a lot. I’ve come full circle with bourbon from 2 years ago – Elijah Craig Small Batch was one of my first two bourbons and I didn’t like it at all back then.
_________________
1792 Bourbon Agave Spirits American Single Malts American Whisky ArteNOM Añejo Tequila Blanco Tequila Blended Whisky Bourbon Whisky Bruichladdich Buffalo Trace Cocktails Código 1530 (Codigo 1530) Dulce Vida E.H. Taylor Elijah Craig El Tesoro Extra Añejo Tequila Four Roses Gin Glassware Glenlivet Irish Whisky Limestone Branch Distillery Liqueurs Lost Lore Maker's Mark Mezcal Mijenta Mt. Defiance Distillery Patrón Penelope Reposado Tequila Reviews Rye Whisky Scotch Whisky Siempre Single Malt Whisky Spirits Tequila Tequila Ocho Tequila Partida Virginia Virginia Distillery Company Whisky
Agave Spirits+ Journey 