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.