Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

When it comes to bourbon over the past year – there’s been no substitute on our bar for Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon.  This no age statement bourbon delivers solid bourbon for a good price.  In the mid-$20 price point, Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon comes from Heaven Hill Distillery.  This same group also makes the wonderful Rittenhouse Rye we covered not to long ago.

Elijah Craig Small Batch has a nose of caramel, dried apricots, pecan, and oak.  The palate is woodsy, but reveals baking spices, toffee nut, and more vanilla like oak.   Just a hint of burn, a mild finish that layers out with oak, caramel, and spice.  While it’s not unbelievably special, it also not unbelievably expensive – and delivers a solid bourbon to make a cocktail with.

So How Does Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Play In Cocktails?

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon shows up – bringing a nice healthy dose of toasted oak and spice box.  The rye notes and hints of dried fruits emphasis well with other liqueurs.  In a Manhattan, the rye notes and the spice notes in the sweet vermouth work well together, and give a nice bit of spice to the underlying vanilla and caramel flavors.  Ultimately, it has a stronger presence than a softer whiskies – like the wheated Weller Special Reserve.  This dominance can make it a bit more unruly when crafting new flavors – so balance of sweetness and acidity are more crucial, but the base canvas is pliable.

Final Thoughts

There are fewer and fewer bourbons sitting in the $20-$30 price point, and among them Elijah Craig is quite solid.  If you’re looking for a bourbon that’s stereo typically bourbon-esque, then Elijah Craig will easily fit your home bar and serve as a work horse, even in a Glencairns glass or on a giant ice sphere.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Raw Tasting Notes

Nose of caramel, dried apricots, pecan, oak, and minerality.   Woodsy palate, oak, hints of cigar box,  and baking spices.  With water – it opens up revealing toffeenut, cinnamon, spice, and honey.

Distillery:  Elijah Craig Distillery Co. – Kentucky

Website: Elijah Craig on Heaven Hill