Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

TW $26.99

ABC store pick (small batch) NAS Neat in glencairn Oak bomb on nose and palate, then way hot for the proof. Water helps, but just more oak is there. Good in old fashioneds. Never tried standard bottling.

I revered the 12-year edition of Elijah Craig that has since gone the way of the dodo. The toasted oak and vanilla nose retains much of what I loved about Elijah Craig and is its strongest feature. The palate is a pleasant combination of butterscotch, toffee, a bit of apple, and pepper. The finish, however, is shorter than I remember from the 12-year and is where the drop in age probably hurts the most. It's now a little astringent and acidic, although the caramel and rye spice combination remains. I'd still pick this by a hair over Evan Williams Single Barrel, and it remains a solid value purchase at around $30.