Elijah Craig 18 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

Received a blind sample from a friend. Tasted 12/31/24. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Vanilla with graham cracker and raisin. Palate: Cinnamon, clove, oak tannins. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but the cinnamon and clove become more balanced. Overall: 9/10 - This has a great nose and a classic bourbon palate. The oak tannins imply a long time in the barrel. The finish gives away the lower proof (if I'm right). My guess: Elijah Craig 18 year.

What whiskey to savor on New Year’s Eve prior to the Fiesta Bowl, and some great champagne later? I chose one of my all-time faves: Elijah Craig 18. EC18 is a pensive whiskey, perfect for reviewing the prior year and planning for the next one. Some older bourbons can become woody, but not EC18. It is smooth and sophisticated. I’m sure that I would love this if tasted blind, but knowing beforehand what it is, I can’t help but appreciate its subtle complexity. I’ve savored this a couple times recently (without notes), and each time—including this one—I find the same general descriptors. Baked cinnamon apples, Honey Nut Cheerios, pomander, graham cracker, baking spices, vanilla. On the palate, it’s light on its feet; not thin, but ethereal. The 90-proof is an apt accompaniment to the generous and complex but understated flavor profile; there is no doubt that this is Bourbon (as I’ve written previously, no Kentucky Hug, but rather a Bardstown Kiss). The finish is long, with the expected oak from an 18-year-old bourbon, with its characteristic vanilla and caramel notes. EC18 isn’t cheap; you’d be hard-pressed to find it below $250. Would I buy it again? Without question. Every time I’ve seen it in the wild (which is three), I’ve pulled the trigger, and would do so again, even with 2.5 bottles on hand. 4.5 stars on the Distiller scale. Barrel 5863, bottled 6.2.22. 45% ABV. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Nose intially smacked of nail polish remover, so…. Not good. But…. Let it sit for a few minutes and turned from a pumpkin into something magical. Vanilla nose, creamy mouthfeel, and an perfectly cinnamon finish.