Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

One of the best in the under $35 category, great low price bourbon with some high quality taste

Great cheap option for a house bourbon.

Smooth noncomplex easy to drink

Nose: light cherry and vanilla with some Spicy oak. Taste: honey and vanilla and a light pepper spice Finish: a little harsh metallic ethanol not the best finish

Rating: 15/23 Re-review as part of a Larceny and Elijah Craig series. N: Rich wood with hints of chocolate. Some sour mash tartness and spices. Definite cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Not a super complex nose, but a fairly appealing one. P: Wood with spices comes in first. There's a definite teabag flavor, though it's milder than I'd remembered (perhaps all of the air this bottle has gotten is to blame?) and certainly isn't over-steeped. There's a hint of chocolate and also a bit of malty caramel sweetness. Maybe it's more of a caramel corn (not caramel popcorn) actually. That tart sour mash is certainly there too. I get occasional hints of floral orange and cherry, but they're very infrequent. There's some minerality, but this is still a fairly rich whiskey. Sort of a rich but mild layer of vanilla throughout. F: Tannic wood lingers with that caramel corn, a bit of spicy bite (cinnamon, black pepper, clove), and a touch of vanilla. - Conclusion - This is solid all around. It's just barely into the tasty sipper category, but it makes it there. This is competitive with Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23), but I like the Russell's a a bit more for its interesting funk. They are close though. Uncle Nearest 1856 (15/23) has an interesting sour mash flavor that I find to be fairly competitive with this as well. Four Roses Single Barrel (15/23) is spicier with more yeasty funk and cherry to it, but I don't feel like I like it quite as much. Well, it's close. Early Times Bottled In Bond (15/23) is a little more complex than this, but it's more rich and decadent. Old Forester 100 (15/23) is funky and also pretty similar in quality to this. I didn't realize just how many 15s I have here. This tastes like a 15 too. As a sanity check, I took a sip of I. W. Harper 15 (14/23) and it was more spicy and tannic in a way that I didn't find as appealing, but it wasn't too far off. I don't seem to have a 16 bourbon in stock, but I do like Pikesville Rye (16/23) a little better because of its nicely executed herbal character and slightly more distinct flavors. I could believe anywhere in the 14 to 16 range for this. I think I'm going to call it a 15. Ooh! I forgot about Sierra Norte Red Corn (15/23). Side by side, it's honestly too different to compare though. Oh, and there's also George Dickel 15 Single Barrel (15/23). The Dickel clearly has more age, but it's over-oaked, with lots of tannins. There's more interesting nuance to it, but it's also more challenging. This is on its way to being over-oaked, but it isn't there. This is easy drinking. Still, it tastes younger and less mature. I'm sticking with a 15.

Sweet, nutty & leather.