Elijah Craig NAS Small Batch, current version

Alas, The Present. The end. For now?

A year after removing the 12 year old age statement, Heaven Hill gave Elijah Craig a whole new outfit, further distancing it from its previous forms. Gone was the dark old whisky in the bottom-heavy bottle, here was something taller, lighter, thinner and younger.

This was known as Sample B in the Taste Off, or whisky 3 in my home lineup. It finished dead last among the group, and next-to-last in my own notes. I lined it up next to the pre-fire EC12 for the tasters to see how far apart the whiskies were.

During my blind tasting, I somehow guessed the three 12 year old ECs correctly, but got the two NASes mixed up. I rated this higher than the previous NAS, while also thinking this one was that one. I wouldn't buy either again.

To recap again, I tasted this bourbon blindly, then did another tasting when I knew what was in my glass. I've listed both sets of notes below. The final rating is weighted heavily towards the blind tasting experience.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Distillery: DSP-KY-1
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: no age statement
Bottled: likely 2018 or 2019

Alcohol by Volume: 47%

When I didn't know what I was drinking

The flattest of the noses. Corn syrup, almonds and brown rice. Cherry candy and BBQ-flavored peanuts. “Black & White cigarettes on the casino floor.”

Halvah, black pepper and nuts start off the palate. Then it shifts to a weird gear: very earthy and very sweet, with a definite paint note.

The finish is tannic and drying on the first two sips, then gets tooth-rottingly sweet and tangy in subsequent sips.

When I DID know what I was drinking

The nose is plain and sugary. Berry jam and barrel char. Almond extract, flowers and vinegar.

The palate is bland, nutty, sweet and peppery.

The finish is nutty, sweet and acidic.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The palate was odd during the first tasting, then boring on the second tasting, but the nose was consistent. It's probably not the worst thing in the extensive Heaven Hill portfolio, but it's a damned shame that's the best thing I can say about it. Six of the tasters from the group ranked this EC first or second, so there are still folks who'd enjoy it. And its score was so close to that of the back-label-12yo that scores from one more taster might have flipped their overall rankings.

But for palates like mine, Elijah Craig Small Batch is just a cocktail bourbon now. I wish it were better. I went into this experiment hoping I'd like the whiskey. Instead, I'll hide remainder in a few old fashioneds. Not all in one night. Probably.

Availability - Everywhere
Rating - 75

Elijah Craig NAS Small Batch, bottled ca. 2016

And then Heaven Hill dropped Elijah Craig's age statement. And everyone was shocked, SHOCKED. Now 8-12 year old whiskies were in the mix per the marketing blurbs, but those numbers were worthless since they were not listed on the label, nor did this become Elijah Craig 8 year old Small Batch.

I found this bottle in Newcastle, IN, during a drive last year. The printed bottle code has a 16 on it, so it's very possible this was from the first batches of this new bourbon. Here's a look at that back label now:

This was Sample C for the 20 other participants in the Elijah Craig Taste Off, while it was the first glass in my own blind tasting. Overall, the group gave it a decent score and it tied in second, considerably ahead of the 12 year old it had replaced. Meanwhile, I ranked it dead last.

As per the previous reviews this week, I tasted this bourbon blindly, then did another tasting when I knew what was in my glass. I've listed both sets of notes below. The final rating is weighted heavily towards the blind tasting experience, unless otherwise noted.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Distillery: DSP-KY-1
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: no age statement
Bottled: around 2016

Alcohol by Volume: 47%

When I didn't know what I was drinking

“Aromatic woodiness” in the nose, which I think is connected to the vanilla bean and jasmine notes I’d also listed. Then cherry candy, peanut butter and brine. It all fades quickly.

The mild, warm palate leads with vanilla, tart berries and tart limes. Sawdust and dango. An all too brief moment of tropical fruit candy.

The warm finish is all sawdust and salty caramel.

When I DID know what I was drinking

The flat and cardboard-y nose has some berry fruitiness and peanuts.

The palate is very sweet, with honey, berries and citrus. Also some oats and peppery tannins.

The moderate length finish is tannic, tart and sweet, with a little bit of that oat note.

WORDS WORDS WORDS 
Not a fan of it either time. It isn't craft whiskey bad, but it's getting much too close, especially considering it's a bourbon brand that had produced much higher quality up to this point. I found it a considerable step down from the back label 12yo that was bottled only a year before. It had the weakest nose of the 5 ECs, but folks with sweeter palates than mine would probably like the taste of it more than I did.

Availability - It's still around, though one has to search for it.
Rating - 73

Elijah Craig 12 year old Small Batch, 12 on back label

This final edition of Elijah Craig 12 year old was Sample D in the recent Taste Off. It just missed landing in last place by two points, though I ranked it 3rd during my own blind tasting.

I picked up this bottle just before leaving Long Beach. As you'll notice, the 12 year old age statement has vanished from the front label. Where did it go? The back label.

This was not Heaven Hill's finest hour. I've written about this before, but to recap: When the company moved the age statement off the front label, bourbon fans expressed worry that this portended the end of the age statement. Heaven Hill's brand ambassador denied it with an unwise dose of condescending sarcasm. Then the age statement was pulled seven months later.

As per the previous reviews this week, I tasted this bourbon blindly, then did another tasting when I knew what was in my glass. I've listed both sets of notes below.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Distillery: DSP-KY-1
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: minimum 12 years
Bottled: around 2015

Alcohol by Volume: 47%

When I didn't know what I was drinking

The nose is nutty, salty and woody. There's also some coca cola syrup, mint and a whiff of smoke. More vanilla and wood spice with time. “Twigs in the rain.” ← I was clearly starting to feel the bourbon at this point.

The palate is sweet and fruity, with limes, oranges and black cherries. Caramel, smoked nuts and just a little bit of woody bitterness.

The sweet and tart finish is full of oranges and tannins.

When I DID know what I was drinking

The nose is all over the place. To wit: paste, honey, lemon, oak, sugar, ground mustard seed and burnt peanuts.

The palate is mostly made up of dried grass clippings. Then there’s tart citrus, earth, an odd sweetness and a hint of eggs.

Grass clippings and tannins in the finish. Tart and not that sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS 

Unlike the previous Elijah Craigs, something definitely happened to this whiskey in the two weeks between the tastings. It was much better when I tried it blind. The palate was very strange during the retry. Even so, it's curious that I gave this edition such a high score in my review three years ago. It's another good bourbon, and I'd be happy to buy a bottle of the stuff I tried blindly, but a number of the other Heaven Hill brands (such as HH BIB, Evan Williams, Henry McKenna) often match or top this edition's quality in their own more recent versions.

Availability - Secondary market, or in some random corner liquor stores
Rating - 82 (from my blind tasting experience only)

Elijah Craig 12 year old Small Batch, 12 on front label

Sample E for the Elijah Craig tasters, #2 for me, was this bottle of Elijah Craig 12 year old Small Batch. This is the version of Elijah Craig a lot of us remember best, I think. Not only is from the 12 year old days, but it was from when they listed that 12 right on the front label. This bottle, purchased during a dusty hunt in Buena Park, CA, is likely from 2014, the final full year of the front label red 12.

Though tied in 2nd place in the Taste Off overall rankings, it scored significantly lower than the first place EC, and without my own ranking it would have fallen to third place.

As with the other four ECs, I tasted this bourbon blindly, then did another tasting when I knew exactly what I'd poured. I've listed both sets of notes below. The final rating is weighted heavily towards the blind tasting experience, unless otherwise noted.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Distillery: DSP-KY-1
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: minimum 12 years
Bottled: 2014

Alcohol by Volume: 47%

BLIND TASTING
The nose is a bit flat and there’s less oak than some of the others, at first. It needs time to open. Then there’s plenty of decent oak, more vanilla and caramel than lumber or sawdust. There’s also Purple Stuff, roses, paper and a hint of smoke.

The oak is “woodier” in the palate. But there’s also some tangy fruit punch and unripe melon. Bits of earth and smoke.

Melon and green herbs highlight the otherwise sweet finish.

SIGHTED(?) TASTING
An intense barrel char note sits right up front in the nose. There’s also a lot of dark chocolate. Then some black pepper, envelope glue and simple syrup.

The palate is minty, bright and orange-y. A good balance of sweet and tart.

The finish is sweet and tangy like orange candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Though I ranked it second during the blind tasting, I liked it better when I knew what I was drinking. In fact, there's a bit of difference between the two sets of notes. There wasn't a lot of time for oxygen to affect the whiskey, so perhaps there were some unconscious things going on during the second tasting. In any case, this Elijah Craig proves to be simple stuff, but very easy drinking, a good everyday bourbon.

Availability - Secondary market, or random dumb luck dusty hunting
Rating - 83

Elijah Craig 12 year old Small Batch, bottled ca. 2001

Like many of the participants in my Elijah Craig blind tasting, I chose this whisky as my favorite of the five. To the other 20 tasters it was known as Sample A. For me, it was Number 5 in the switcheroo my wife set up for me. And like most of the tasters, I'd never actually had pre-fire Elijah Craig. I'd had pre-fire Heaven Hill stuff (Heaven and Evan, if you will), but not EC.

Let me take a quick detour to talk about what I mean by "pre-fire" for those who are haven't heard of it before or have just used the term without knowing 100% what it meant. On November 7, 1997, Heaven Hill's production facility (DSP-KY-31) went up in flames, SERIOUS flames, during a violent thunderstorm. (YouTube has a bit of footage from the fire.) The conflagration, which included a river of burning whiskey and 80-foot flames, destroyed the distillery and 90,000 barrels of aged whiskey. In 1999, Heaven Hill purchased DSP-KY-1 from United Distillers (proto-Diageo) and restarted production. Heaven Hill whiskey distilled at the old distillery before the fire is often referred to as "pre-fire" whiskey.

As you may be able to tell from the above picture, I did not buy this bottle in America. Instead I found it while shopping in Shibuya, Tokyo, where cost close to its original price. The bottle bottom has a large 01 on it, which likely means the bottle was made in 2001, thus the estimated date I've listed.

As with the other four ECs, I tasted this bourbon blindly, then did another tasting when I knew exactly what I'd poured. I've listed both sets of notes below. The final rating is weighted heavily towards the blind tasting experience, unless otherwise noted.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Distillery: the late DSP-KY-31
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: minimum 12 years
Bottled: around 2001

Alcohol by Volume: 47%

BLIND TASTING
The nose is “old school”: Basements, old toys, National Distillers-esque butterscotch. Then cherry juice, root beer barrel candy and furniture.

The palate is “oceany” and musty, with anise, cinnamon candy and root beer barrel candy.

It finishes musty, spicy and zesty.

SIGHTED(?) TASTING
The nose has less dustiness. Instead it leads with black cherry syrup cut with citrus peels. Caramel, cinnamon and aromatic oak notes.

Baking spices and a medium sweetness in the palate. Pepper and brine. Honey mixed into apple cider vinegar. More corn sweetness than oak sweetness.

The lightly tannic, but long finish has hints of vanilla and pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The nose was the best part both times, though the palate did improve when I knew what I was drinking. It drank well, though the finish didn't WOW at any point. It never reaches the heights of Ye Olde National Distillers bourbons, but it's a very good style, a style (as you'll see) that I prefer over the recent NAS Elijah Craigs.

Availability - Secondary market, or random dumb luck dusty hunting
Rating - 86

An Elijah Craig Taste Off

This tasting was supposed to be for gits and shiggles, but as all the tasters' notes came in, I started learning things. A narrative or two — and you know there always MUST be narratives — emerged from the bourbon haze. And something remarkable happened. With eyes closed, the tasters could see.

FIVE ELIJAHS

Here the bourbons be, in order of bottling date:

From left to right:
--12 year old, bottled ca. 2001, distilled at the old distillery, before the fire.
--12 year old Small Batch with the red 12 on the front label.
--12 year old Small Batch with the age statement moved to the back label.
--Small Batch, no age statement, previous bottle/label style
--Small Batch, no age statement, current bottle/label style

Again, these are the ECs in order of bottling date. This not the order of the blind samples. Maybe.

THE SETUP

Taking a step back and really seeing these five different Elijah Craigs clustered together in the whisky cabinet, I realized a public tasting was in order. I liked Elijah Craig Small Batch enough to gather these bottlings from three states and two countries, but when was I going to have time drinking them all? The idea was to compare them someday, but that's a lot of tempered poison to consume. And if opinions are like livers, wouldn't it better to have 21 of them?

So I recruited 20 other livers tasters. Actually I recruited 16. Five wives joined in to assist their husbands with this terrifying task. Some tasters were bourbon geeks, many were not. I would guess less than a third had tried pre-fire Elijah Craig before. Most of us were innocents before, but now we know.

Everyone received five samples marked A through E. In my case, Kristen shuffled the glasses. Without knowing which was which, we each provided notes, rankings and the occasional guess.

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A post shared by Gridley’s Redemption (@gridleysredemption) on Jun 20, 2019 at 5:42pm PDT

(thank you, Gridley's Redemption)

I'll begin with how the bourbons were ranked, then I'll cover the tasting notes and show the guesses. After that comes the REVEAL(!). With the reveal in mind, we all can go back and look at the rankings and guesswork. Onwards!

RANKINGS

21 tasters (20 of y'all, plus me) ranked the five samples in order of preference. Most favoritest to Least Favoritest (words used in a number of replies). As I tallied these up, I assigned points similar to the NCAA Coaches Polls, since no one ever disagrees with those. 5 points for first place, 4 points for second place, down to 1 point for 5th place. That way the winner had the most points. Because America.

First Place

SAMPLE A with 81 points

Its mean was 3.86. In other words it averaged nearly a second place finish.

12 first place votes.

3 last place votes.

Two-thirds of the tasters ranked it first or second.

Second Place (tie!)

SAMPLE E with 64 points

Its mean was 3.05, almost exactly a third place average.

2 first place votes

2 last place votes

It had the smallest standard deviation overall because 80% of the tasters ranked it 2nd, 3rd or 4th.

Second Place (tie!)

SAMPLE C with 64 points

Its mean was 3.05, almost exactly a third place average.

2 first place votes

4 last place votes

Yeah, I can't believe there was a tie, either.

Fourth Place

SAMPLE D with 54 points

Its mean was 2.57.

4 first place votes

5 first place votes

Feelings were all over the place with this one.

Fifth Place

SAMPLE B with 52 points

Its mean was 2.48.

1 first place vote

7 last place votes

More than half of the tasters voted this one fourth or fifth.

Hooray for Sample A! There was quite a gap between first and second place. Even so, some people really didn't like Sample A, while others enjoyed Sample B. I'll try to capture this variety of opinion in this next section...

TASTING NOTES

One of the first things one sees when compiling the notes of 20 tasters is......chaos. I've hosted a number of group tastings, and when several people share their notes aloud their experiences converge to a greater measure than when several people write their notes down secretly. When TWENTY people write their notes down, there are approximately TWENTY different experiences.

I've attempted to group some of the notes together in this section because most of the bourbons had over 100 notes. I don't want to force any similarities that aren't there, but let's see if there are any consistencies.

thank you Mystery Photographer!

SAMPLE A - 81 points, 3.86 avg
Many tasters were confident about this one from the start.

The nose generated similar declarations from 5 different tasters: old bottle effect (twice), dusty profundity, classic dusty aroma and "that nameless smell of old bourbon". Other common descriptors included:
4 mentions each for Oak and Vanilla
3 mentions of Maple (syrup and candies)
2 mentions each of Armagnac and Corn products
There was also tobacco, leather, peach cobbler, hops, iron, fuel and anise cough drops among dozens of other notes.

Seven tasters referenced Oak when describing the palate. Other popular notes were:
4 mentions each for Pepper and Heat
3 mentions for Yeast
2 mentions each for Leather, Caramel and Cloves
They also said it tasted like dill, mole sauce, cotton candy, red wine, chocolate and a dank well.

Oak received 4 mentions in the finish notes.
Good length had 2
Vanilla had 3
Also cloves, rye, maple, mint, tobacco leaf and cellar funk were referenced.

Among the comments, this was the biggest, but also the thinnest of the group. It was delightful, yet unpleasant. A quarter of the reviewers raved about its nose. Others said the whole thing was complex, unique and well-aged.


SAMPLE B - 52 points, 2.48 avg
Though this sample had much lower overall scores than A, it had a wider variety of descriptors. Some drinkers seemed to think it was younger than A as well.

The nose seemed to be about the corn (4x), including "dry corn in an old wood grain bin". Other popular notes were:
3 mentions each for Maple and Peanuts
2 mentions each for Caramel, Bananas and Sweetness
Lots of other sugary stuff including candy apple coating, cake, vanilla frosting, confectioners' sugar and toffee. There were also greener notes such as yeast, mint, vegetables, sunflower seeds and fresh cut grass. A curious lack of "oak" in the descriptions here.

Oak was mentioned 5 times in the palate notes. Other notes include:
4 mentions each for Nuts/Nut products and Cinnamon
3 mentions each for Fruit, Caramel and Bitterness
2 mentions each for Almond products (milk and extract), Sweet, Spicy, Dry and Peanuts
Those notes sound pretty, but then there were notes like: thin, astringent, hot and savory.

The finish received some tough notes like young, raw, craft whiskey, watery and short. Others included:
2 mentions each for Oak, Dry, Medium length
There were also cloves, cinnamon, maple syrup and straw.

Per the comments the whiskey was full of "raw wood, typical of young whiskey", while also having a "lovely uniqueness". It was easy to drink, while also having consistency issues. There were a number of references to its weakness, while one taster compared it to Jim Beam White Label with more age.

SAMPLE C - 64 points, 3.05 avg
This bourbon had the fewest descriptors in all the categories. A lot of oak, though.

Oak tagged 6 notes in the nose. Other notes included:
3 mentions each of Vanilla, Corn products and Quietness
2 mentions each of Citrus, Coconut and Alcohol
Also nut brittle, caramel, candy corn and lemon Pine Sol.

Oak again led the palate with 9 mentions. Sweetness had 5 mentions. Solvent/feints/polish received three. Also:
2 mentions each for Thin, Dry, Simple, Young, Bitter and Caramel
It was thick, tingly, tannic, mineral, floral and grassy.

Three tasters thought the finish was short. Three mentioned oak, and two thought it was dry. It was also watery, bitter and tannic. There was also vanilla, clove and brown sugar.

Comments were limited as well. Tasters though it was "rounded", "not complex but drinkable" and it reminded one taster of Orphan Barrel Barterhouse. There was enough enthusiasm to garner it some good scores, but not a lot of vivid descriptions.


SAMPLE D - 54 points, 2.57 avg
As mentioned above, this one really split the group.

In the nose notes, oak led again with five references. Then:
3 mentions each for Mint and Nuts
2 mentions each for Vegetal, Toasted, Butterscotch and Barn
It was also "weird" and "earthy", with corn, rye, tobacco, lavender, hay, thai curry, indoor pool, Moroccan hair oil and old-books-unopened-for-decades notes.

Leading notes in the palate were:
5 mentions: Oak
4 mentions: Bitter
3 mentions each for Dry and Sweet
2 mentions each for Honey and Heat
The other notes were spread out, like: red wine, maple, grassy, stone fruit, Juicy Fruit gum, biscuits, black tea, yeast, cola, spearmint and a cigar ashtray cleaned with Windex.

Finish notes were concise:
4 mentions: Oak
3 mentions: Short
2 mentions each for Dry, Sweet and Char
Other notes included: fresh cigar wrapper, amaretto, licorice and spice cabinet.

Comments ranged everywhere from "very good" to "horrible". It was the "most complicated" but also "eww poopoo must be NAS" ← Nominee for tasting note of the decade.


SAMPLE E - 64 points, 3.05 avg
A few tasters said they were getting weary by this point, but there were still plenty of notes for this bourbon.

With references to lumber yards and wood chips, oak/wood led the way again with 5 mentions for the nose.
3 mentions for Vanilla
2 mentions each for Honey and Sweetness
Also coconut, tobacco, caramel corn, mint, old leather chair, toffee, corn oil & husks, old grass clippings and pine needles.

NINE different tasters commented on the palate's sweetness. Also:
3 mentions each for Vanilla, Oak and Sugars
2 mentions each for Baking spices, Nuts, Flowers and Heat
Also rye, mint, caramel, wax, smoky, graham crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios and berry pie.

For the finish the notes included:
3 mentions of Oak
2 mentions each for Drying, Short and Sweet
Others included beeswax candy, vanilla, cocoa, lemon juice and heat.

Per further comments, this sweetie needed time to open up, was well-rounded like a Japanese whisky, yet was typical of Heaven Hill bourbon. It was balanced and elegant, with a silky mouthfeel.

THE GUESSES

The drinkers had the option to guess which sample was which Elijah Craig. It was sort of a dare. But as 15 of the tasters made guesses of one or more of the ECs, this lark wound up resulting in something fascinating...

SAMPLE A

10 out of 15 guesses were correct.

All 15 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE B

7 out of 14 guesses were correct

All 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE C

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

7 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE D

4 out of 14 guesses were correct.

11 out of 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE E

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

8 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

Firstly, look at the results from Samples A & B again. Drink that in.

Secondly, 42% of all guesses were correct. 80% of the guesses at least nailed the age statement.

While there were a handful of big bourbon geeks in the group, the vast majority were not. In fact some of us don't even like bourbon that much. Yet, our senses can sort out the difference between a 12yo and an NAS, to the point of perfection in Samples A & B.

THE REVEAL!

Let me not tarry further.

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

SAMPLE A was the Pre-Fire 12 year old, bottled ca. 2001

SAMPLE B was the current NAS Small Batch

SAMPLE C was the old NAS Small Batch

SAMPLE D was the 12 year old with the age statement on the back label

SAMPLE E was the 12 year old with the age statement on the front label

RESULTS REVISITED

First Place

Pre-Fire 12 year old, bottled ca. 2001 with 81 points

10 out of 15 guesses were correct.

All 15 guesses got the age statement correct.

Second Place (tie!)

Front label 12 year old with 64 points

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

8 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

Second Place (tie!)

Old NAS Small Batch with 64 points

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

7 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

Fourth Place

Back label 12 year old with 54 points

4 out of 14 guesses were correct.

11 out of 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

Fifth Place

Current NAS Small Batch with 52 points

7 out of 14 guesses were correct

All 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

While we shouldn't be totally shocked that the oldest and newest Elijah Craigs landed first and last, while also generating very accurate guesses, it's still fascinating that this really played out, almost to an extreme level.

There was also a distinct preference of the old no-age-statement Small Batch over the new one. Meanwhile the old NAS thumped the very 12 year old (back label) it replaced, even though the tasters seemed to know the lower scoring whiskey was a 12yo.

I was surprised the front label 12yo — the bottling that brought many of us to Elijah Craig in the first place — didn't fare that well. It seemed to be a considerable step down from the pre-fire 12, per the group scores.

Speaking of the pre-fire 12, its color was the darkest of the group, with a deep red tint to it. Several tasters also noted its character was different than the other four, which set it apart, which may have led to some correct guesses.

These are all generalizations to some point, since every taster had his or her own relationship with each EC. For instance, there were a few people who didn't like the pre-fire 12 even though they knew/guessed what it was.

I keep coming back to the remarkable guesswork: 42% correct, 80% correct age statement. It even breaks down evenly between the types:

12 year olds - 42.9% correct. 81.0% correct age statement

NASes - 40.7% correct. 77.8% correct age statement

The drinkers knew what they're tasting, even when they're not experts. Our instincts were correct. Even though the 12 year old whiskey doesn't always win out, we seem to know when it's in our glass.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

If you haven't gotten enough of this Elijah Craig onslaught, you will be utterly pleased to know that I will be posting my tasting notes from my blind tasting throughout next week.

More importantly, please use the comment section if you have thoughts or inquiries about this taste off. Thank you to all the participants and all the readers!

Invitation to a Bourbon Taste Off!

***THE TASTE OFF HAS ITS 16 TASTERS!***

Damn, y'all are fast.

Mathilda is like her father in many ways. Like, too many ways. Moody? Check. Hypochondriac? Check. Obsessed with the potty? Check. One of the less terrifying similarities is the habit of collecting random things, and then forgetting about them. All her coat pockets are full of wood chips, twigs and smooth rocks.

Speaking of wood chips: Bourbon!

I have five versions of Elijah Craig Small Batch. Who knows why. Okay, there's a reason for the fifth bottle. This very occasion. And what occasion is this?

TASTE OFF!

And YOU are invited. Really.

Okay, up to 16 of yous.

Here are the ECs:

From left to right:
--12 year old, bottled ca. 2001, distilled at the old distillery, before the fire.
--12 year old Small Batch with the red 12 on the front label.
--12 year old Small Batch with the age statement moved to the back label.
--Small Batch, no age statement, previous bottle/label style
--Small Batch, no age statement, current bottle/label style

They're from all over the place: Shibuya, Tokyo; Buena Park; Long Beach; Newcastle, Indiana; and Westerville, Ohio.

Rather than blab about some showy bottle in honor of Mathilda's 5th birthday, I'd rather do something slightly more interactive this year. And I have these five bottles. I mean, I like Elijah Craig, but.

So, The Taste Off.

Email me at divingforpearlsblog at gmail dot com if you would like to partake. (For you, my friend, it's free.) Here are the important things:

--We're doing this blindly, including me.
--I will post the results in late June, with an engaging narrative that either springs forth organically from everyone's experience, or is awkwardly shoehorned in.
--Your name will not be used in the post, so no one has to enter a witness relocation program after he enjoys the current small batch more than the pre-fire 12yo. Except for me. (recycled joke!)

If you're among the first 16 confirmed for the experience, I'll email you additional information. So......are you in?

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Elijah Craig 18 year old 1991, barrel 3416

As recently as Feburary 2015, the average US retail price for Elijah Craig 18yo was listed as $58 on Winesearcher. As of June 2017, the average price is now $303. The 21yo sits at $463, and the 23yo is $507. It's fair to say that most bourbon fans will never get a chance to try any of these long-matured Elijah Craigs. One can blame the producers for raising the suggested retail price. One can blame retailers for marking up the bottles well above the SRP. One can in turn blame the secondary market for pushing the prices so high that producers and retailers are motivated to do their own price gouging in order to not miss out on revenue. Or one can be totally fascinated by the people who are quick to spend $300-$500 on these whiskies, and why they value them so highly.

I'm a big fan of the (formerly) 12 year old Small Batch from Elijah Craig, and their (formerly?) 12 year old Barrel Proof series might be my favorite bourbon on the market. But keep in mind, my palate may be different from yours. I usually find bourbons in the double-digit age range to be much too oaky, but the 12yo ECs were the most consistent exception. In any case, this palate preference is bound to save me some money.

I was lucky to have purchased this sample of the 18 year old before prices went bonkers.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distilled: March 28, 1991 at Old Bernheim Distillery
Age: minimum 18 years
Mashbill: 86% Corn, 6% Rye, 8% Malted Barley (maybe?)

Alcohol by Volume: 45%

NEAT
The nose is divine. Toffee pudding, almond extract and molasses. Vanilla bean, mint leaves and whipped cream. There's also a darker edge to it, consisting of saline, wood ash and a medicinal note. At first the palate is pretty forward. Vanilla, salt, furniture polish and strong peppery wood spices. With time, it becomes massively bitter. There's plenty of heat to it throughout, and there is a mild sweetness underneath keeping the whole thing from being ruined by the bitterness. Its finish is tannic as hell. There's also wood smoke, tart lemon candy and a woody bitterness that is slightly milder than the palate's.

WITH WATER (~41-42%abv)
The nose becomes milder. Caramel, vanilla bean, wood char and Rolos candies. Less bitterness on the palate, and still mildly sweet. Tart citrus, corn meal, a hint of salty seaweed and plenty of tannins. The finish is a little sweeter, less bitter. Still mouth-drying. Salty, with some barrel char. Plenty of length.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
If one doesn't add water, one can sniff this bourbon all night long. Just gorgeous stuff. That is one of the benefits of long maturation in a rich barrel. But on the other hand, unless you like oaky oak oakness, the palate is difficult. While it's less dreadful than the Orphan Barrels and 23yo Pappies, it's still a fight to dig through the bitterness and tannins. Adding a little bit of water helps correct this issue, slightly, but also mutes the nose's thrills.

While there's nothing I can say to keep people from spending $300+ on something like this, I will say that if whiskey was only for smelling then this bourbon would be a real treat. But whisky is for drinking. If you have no problem with drinking liquid oak, then you'll have no problem with EC18. If, like me, that is not your preference, then perhaps you'll want to skip it, unless you can find it for less than $100 (ha!). Still, if price wasn't an issue, I'd take it over the Orphan Barrels any day.

Availability - this particular barrel is probably sold out, other EC18s are available at a few dozen retailers around the world
Pricing - for EC18s in general: $300 average in US, $230 (ex-VAT) average in Europe
Rating - 83

When Heaven Hill Bourbon Goes Right: Elijah Craig 12 year old Small Batch (2015)

Let's get whiskey politics out of the way first.  Since its creation, Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig 12 year old Straight Bourbon had its age statement listed on the front of bottle.  Then last year the age statement was replaced on the front label by a barrel, and the "12 years" reference was moved to the small font on the back label.  The reaction to this from the online bourbon geek community was a combination of despair and irritation.  They'd seen this happen before with other bourbons: the age statement gets moved from its prominent perch and hidden, only to be removed altogether shortly thereafter.  These concerns were publicly addressed by Heaven Hill's ambassador Bernie Lubbers in a sarcastic patronizing manner, denying any "devious" and "misleading" conspiratorial intent and insisting that the whiskey would remain 12 years old.  Seven months later, the age statement was removed altogether.  Bourbon fans' anger grew, not just because of the age drop, but because of the denial and its tone.  For a wider recap and some links, see Sku's post on this subject matter.

I'm not shocked by Heaven Hill's decision since I've witnessed scotch single malt producers stoop to desperate measures to convince their customers that age does not matter a whit.  The tone of Heaven Hill's ambassador's denial was ill chosen and I understand why folks would be pissed at him.  And I understand why Heaven Hill will now be seen as less trustworthy.  But like it or not, Elijah Craig (NAS) Small Batch has arrived.  And people will buy it.  You can elect not to buy it.  I'm in no hurry to get a bottle myself.

The 12 year old version of Eljiah Craig, where it still can be found at its suggested retail price, is a tremendous deal.  Out where I live, it's going for $25.  $25 for a 12 year old whiskey.  $25 for a 12 year old whiskey that's bottled at 47%abv.  $25 for a 12 year old whiskey that's bottled at 47%abv and tastes very good.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Elijah Craig
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottled: 2015 (code 42 21 132 15 19:10)
Age: minimum 12 years
Region: Louisville, Kentucky
Maturation: New American oak
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley (I think)

Alcohol by Volume: 47%

I'm reviewing a large sample plucked from the midpoint of my own bottle, a bottle whose contents were consumed rapidly.  We didn't really have a winter here, thus very little Scotch Weather.  And on 75-90ºF days, my tummy says bourbon drinks better than its Scottish cousin.  That's my excuse.

NEAT --
The nose leads with brown sugar and old furniture.  Caramel sauce and Sugar Daddy candies.  Vanilla extract and doughnut glaze.  Sometimes it smells like a mint julep tastes.  It gets prettier with time, growing almost floral (blooms not perfumes).

The palate is simple at first: all corn syrup, salt, and baking spices (a rye and oak tandem).  It gradually picks up a cayenne pepper-type bite, vanilla bean, a little bit of tannin, some tart citrus, and a soft Rittenhouse Rye-like note, all elements held in a creamy texture.

Those spices stick around for the finish.  Then there's vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, simple syrup, and clover honey.

In a Highball -- Acceptable.
In an Old Fashioned -- Very good.  The bourbon finds a good mate in the orange.

Comments:
Though the palate can't be accused of complexity, it is very very nice.  And SMOOTH(!)!)!()0º_)!1!  The nose shows more dimension and depth.  And the finish is delish.  That's why my bottle's contents vanished lickety-split.  Yes there's plenty of oak, it's a 12 year old bourbon.  But what you're getting are the vanillins and palatable compounds, not boring wood nor burnt stuff nor bruising bitterness.

If you haven't tried EC12, and you can actually find it for $30 or less, and you actually like bourbon, I recommend scooping up ONE bottle while you can.  One bottle.  Leave some on the shelf for others. If you buy a case instead, then karma shall break every cork, oxidize all your whiskies, your stomach shall become bloated, and your head plucked of all but three hairs.  Also anal leakage.

Availability - As of March 2016 it's still at most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $25 to $35 (USA), $40-$60 (Europe)
Rating - 87 (bumped it up a point at the last minute)