Elijah Craig is the first distiller to age his whiskey in charred oak barrels. Today, the Heaven Hill Distillery still uses the same careful methodology to create that flavor you love to drink. They use local corn and grains that are milled and mixed with limestone rich Kentucky Spring water, then the product is fermented and distilled. Then the daunting task is set upon the master distiller again, to select the perfect single barrel to bottle.
Heaven Hill’s 18-year-old bourbon is bottled solely from the contents of one barrel, not the mingling of many.
Name: Elijah Craig
Location: Kentucky
Age: 18 years from a Single Barrel
ABV: 45%
Cask: New American Charred Oak
Nose: Caramel and toasted pine nuts. Vanilla, oak, cherry and light citrus. The nose is inviting and smooth. Hints of Mint and milk chocolate seed within to bring forth a nice hint of sweetness.
Palate: Honey, Toasted wood, fire wood and nutty spices. Bitter chocolate, caramel and berry fruits. The sweetness and the spices and woody notes all complement each other so well. No two bottles are the same. The char is both inviting and resentful. The complexity of the 18 year old bourbon has many layers, like an onion that you have to peel and peel and see what lies beneath.
Finish: Smooth, oily, spicy and woody. The mint reveals itself in the end of the finish, almost as a refreshing note that sums up the entire bottle. Just a beautiful dram.
Price: Around $160
