Elijah Craig Small Batch Whiskey 750ml

Elijah Craig Small Batch comes from Heaven Hill Distillery, one of Kentucky's largest independent, family-owned producers. The brand honors Reverend Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister and entrepreneur in colonial-era Kentucky who is often credited, though not definitively confirmed, with pioneering the use of charred oak barrels for aging whiskey. Elijah Craig first launched as a twelve-year-old bourbon in 1986, but in 2016 Heaven Hill dropped the age statement under pressure on limited stocks, and the whiskey is now generally matured between eight and twelve years.

This bourbon draws from Heaven Hill's standard mashbill of seventy-eight percent corn, ten percent rye, and twelve percent malted barley, hand-selected from barrels stored on the middle to upper floors of the distillery's traditional metal-clad rickhouses. It ages in new charred American oak before bottling at 94 proof, a notch above many entry-level bourbons.

The nose is complex, offering vanilla bean, sweet fruit, and a touch of fresh mint. The palate is smooth and warm, layered with wood spice, subtle smoke, and nutmeg. The finish runs long, sweet, and slightly toasty.