Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Rye

Dried plum and hazelnut with a light rye spiciness on the nose. Brown sugar, dried fruit, cinnamon, citrus, hazelnut taste. Pecan and plum linger on a medium palate.

Adding to the Heaven Hill rye offering. the EC rye comes in at both the lowest proof and lowest price next to Rittenhouse and Pikesville. I was intrigued that HH was adding yet another rye, both with the EC label and at a entry level price. Judging it by the cover,, this book has a lot of potential. Something that can compete with Northern Harvest and Old Forestor rye's which are both already living in the "rye deal" category. There is something distinct about Pikesville and the other lower rye bills like Old Forestor, the sugars that blend from the corn and malt do some magical things and right off the top I was reminded of Pikesville when getting a nose full of the new EC rye. Just a bit of the lemon grass-dill rye and some of that cola nut sweetness that balances out the rye spice. Nose: Promising Once we get this on the tongue it reminds almost as much of the Old Forestor as Pikesville, a softer rye spice tingle and nice notes of dark caramel sugars or even a little butterscotch to go with the typical dill and caraway seed spices. Again this bill balances out nicely and your tongue won't get stepped on with clove heat so common with those higher 90+ rye bills. It's soft on the backside leaving a little salty bitters with nothing else rough to complain about. Conclusion: I would take this rye over the standard MGP ANY day and will easily call this one a winner. It's easy to sip, rewarding and easy on the wallet all the things I look for with nothing to complain about. I was skeptical that Heaven Hill would deliver something more, but that really seems like just what they've done. A good quality rye and the industry standard low end price range will always be welcome, another well done for Heaven Hill. Cheers!

Kind of excited to try this since it's a super deal at $30, I like the Pikesville, and it's not available in my state. Fortunately I know a guy who shops in Oregon! Nose: Butterscotch and quite a bit of baking spices up front. The signature nutty Heaven Hill note comes through right after with hints in the background of mint and oak. Flavor: Sweet and spicy! The Heaven Hill nuttiness is subdued but there with more baking spices and toasted pecans. Finish: Medium long and somewhat drying first rye spice and oak followed by mint and tarragon and then leather and clove. Boy this is an interesting one. Clearly some age on this NAS product. A huge bargain at $30. Hope they release this everywhere soon as I'll have to nurse this bottle in the meantime.

NC was one of a few states to get the first run of EC Rye. Saw it for the first time today, so I decided to give it a go. Rittenhouse and Pikesville are 1 and 1A on my rye list, so expectations are high. Here we go... NOSE: Dry and Dusty Rye Spice. Old, Slightly Musty Oak and Old Straw. Fall Spices like Clove, Allspice and Cinnamon. A little Vanilla. NEAT: A lot of Oak. Drying, Slightly Bitter Oak. Seems Thin. A little Toffee Sweetness with light Caramel and Salted Butter. Black Pepper. A slightly Spicy and Warming (bordering on hot) Finish. Oak and Spice Coat after the finish. SPLASH: A little water adds some sweetness to the nose and palate. VERDICT: Of the three Heaven Hill Ryes, this is the most rye-ish. With the same mash bill, what is the difference here? Age? Rickhouse position? Barrels that just don't fit the Rittenouse/Pikesville profile?That being said, I don't really see the need for this whiskey. It may be a little older than Rittenhouse, but it's 6 proof points lower and $5 more. While the Rittenhouse and Pikesville are thick and coating, the EC was thin and hot. It was a real letdown. Had I been tasting this blind, I never would've guessed it was related to Heaven Hill's other ryes. My opinion is buy the Rittenhouse, it's far superior. If you want to upgrade, get the Pikesville. Not in your state yet? You're not missing out.

Very solid for a first fo and the price. Definitely worth a spot on the shelf.