PBMichiganWolverine
Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
March 31, 2016 (edited May 18, 2021)
I'm not a bourbon guy, always found it overly sweet and oaky. So...take my review here with a grain of salt. I've so far tried the 12 version and this one, not back to back unfortunately. But, from what I recall of the 12..I found them quite similar. Which I don't quite understand...why have a NAS and a 12, only to have it taste about the same? Maybe in the long term, they'll get rid of the 12 altogether and replace with a NAS of younger age? So...tasting notes: vanilla and corn on the nose. Like those carnival candy corn. I never liked those. Palette: more sweetness, more candy corn. Finish is short but not bitter. Pretty well made, quite honestly...and really good VFM, if you're into bourbon. I bought this for $25. I don't think I can buy an equal quality scotch for $25. So...all things considered...if I did like bourbon, I'd choose this over a comparable cost scotch. But...if I had to choose only one drink, and I had $25-30...not sure I'd go for this. I'd go with Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye.
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Mikael: thanks for that---makes sense, sounds like going away from age statements slowly. Either way...in the greater scheme of things, age or NAS, as long as the liquid is good, doesn't matter
Pranay, just to offer some clarity here - it went from 12 on the front, to 12 on the back, to no mention of the 12 and a move to NAS, which this one is. It's a bit confusing because it's two whiskeys, and two labels, but three different products, if that makes sense.
Oh you're right...mine has 12 on the back written on it. Okay...so, I have two bottles, one with a big 12 in the front, the other with a small 12 in the description on back. Yup. Clear as mud now.
sorry if it looks like I commented twice. I tried to edit the original comment and it would only allow a delete. So then I made my revised comment and it appears the original isn't being deleted.
They moved the age statement to the back for 2015. In 2016 they removed it all together and now it's a NAS bourbon with whiskey as young as 7 years in the bottle. All the while, they lied to us in 2015 saying they WERE NOT going to an NAS whiskey. So, if you picked up a bottle and it says 12 years anywhere on the back you DO NOT have the NAS small batch. You have a legit 12 year Elijah Craig. Pranay, make sure what you tasted does NOT have the 12 year statement on the back label. If you do a side-by-side comparison It would be hard not to notice the differences. They are not subtle. The 12 has a heavy oak influence which is missing from the new NAS bottle.
The 12 is gone completely from production. They didn't exactly slowly get rid of it. Age statement was moved to the back for 2015 and for 2016 it's gone completely. So, Pranay, make sure the bottle you tasted doesn't say 12 on the back. If it does, that's still a legitimate 12 year bottle. The NAS bottle is the new normal and there is no mention whatsoever of an age on the back label.
That's interesting they moved it to the back. I'm guessing they'll slowly get rid of it altogether
I picked up a bottle yesterday and noticed that the age statement was moved to the back label, essentially making it the same whiskey. I wanted to scoop one up before it disappeared entirely. It's not great stuff, but great considering that it takes at least double the price to get a good scotch.