Rating: 15/23 I'm a fan of Elijah Craig, so when I heard that there was an Elijah Craig rye, I knew I had to get it. But Elijah Craig has always done bourbon before, so can they actually make good rye? Actually, more to the point, Elijah Craig is a Heaven Hill brand that competes with their other bourbons (perhaps most notably, Larceny) and Heaven Hill already has ryes in its portfolio (most notably, Rittenhouse and Pikesville (are there even others?)). So what on Earth should I expect an Elijah Craig rye to taste like? N: Pretty full, though not massive. There's plenty of wood, but also some rich, bitter oiliness. There are some spices and, of course, there is the wide herbal layer, the combination of which brings in rainbow peppercorns, grass, and (restrained) mint. It all melds nicely with the fruity sweetness of apples and light tangerines. That, in turn, brings in wafts of somewhat floral vanilla. There's sort of an aged grain scent going on here that's oddly stronger than the wood (though I do get some of the wood too). It's actually a very nice and interesting balance, though it doesn't come across as terribly old. P: Vanilla, mint, spicy burn, wood. There's some grain and caramel sweetness that borders on malty (sort of like that bland highland scotch flavor a la Glen Grant, though not to an excessive degree). I do get apple with a spritz of tangerine or orange and a wist of orange rind included. It's a quite rich and fairly full palate, though it doesn't taste super mature and the balance is a bit rough at times. There's a faint oiliness filling out the palate. I'm also not getting the same amount of complexity that the nose suggested. This has more fruit and less bitter herbs than I'd expected. It really isn't matching the usual rye profile. It sort of has the sweet oiliness of a well-finished young scotch. F: Mint, that malty richness, remnants of the caramel that border on bringing in a chocolate flavor, - Conclusion - The nose had me really drawn in, but I don't really think that the palate holds up, unfortunately. This is a solid rye, but it isn't that nuanced or boldly hedonistic. The profile is also a bit odd in how much of a scotch character it has to it. Still, I find this to be a bit better than Rittenhouse and not quite as good as Pikesville. I'd say that Michter's executes the rye flavor a bit better, but both taste like they're in the early stages of becoming something great. Between the two, I'd put my money on this one achieving greatness at an especially old age because it has such bold flavors that the wood will tame and add to. Hopefully there will be an age statement version of this released in a few years. Side by side, I actually find this to be a more compelling expression than Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon. This has more character coming out of it without the teabag tannins, though it also tastes a bit less matured. Between the two, I'd call this the likely winner. I'd probably put this below Michter's, though not by much. Michter's has more complexity, but it's less fun and full. Considering that this is above Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon (a low 15) and Michter's rye ( a high 15), this seems to be quite solidly a 15.