🥃 - Elijah Craig 18 Year Proof - 90 / 45% Color - Mahogany Nose - Crisp fruit, heavy oak, some caramel and sugary notes Flavors - Heavy oak, smokiness, caramel, fruit, and vanilla Sweetness - 5 / 10 I would say this is hard to categorize because it’s so heavily oaky but it fades into a very deep sweetness Dryness - 3.75 / 10 A very nice airy quality to this bourbon but it fully coats the palate easily and sticks around Burn - 4 / 10 Lower proof and lower heat here, not a hot bourbon but warm enough to feel it Bud’s rating - 5 / 10 *CAVEAT* I really am not a big fan of earthy or wood heavy bourbon and that’s where this bourbon shines. I think overall it’s a good bourbon, but bad for my palate and personal preferences. So this bourbon is the oldest I’ve had the pleasure of have in my personal selection, but not the oldest I’ve had (Pappy 23). Bourbon aged for a long time will really begin to mellow and pull out heavy heavy influence from the wood barrel. This is a very oak forward flavor bourbon and it really doesn’t hit the spot for me. With that said it has a great sweet finish to it. I think I would likely enjoy the barrel proof more, since I’m not a big fan of the oak flavors. While I gave it a lower rating, it’s hard to characterize because I recognize the appeal of this bourbon and why it’s sought after. I will keep a bottle on the bar for my friends who enjoy an earthy bourbon, but likely will have it around a while.