BACKGROUND: Elijah Craig bourbon is named for a Baptist minister from Virginia who moved to Kentucky and opened a distillery in 1789. Legend claims, though absolutely no proof exists, that Craig accidentally invented the process of aging whiskey in charred barrels after his barn caught fire. Despite the fact that the fire, according to lore, charred barrels that were stored inside the barn, Craig decided to use them to ship his whiskey. Customers who received the barrels were supposedly delighted with the effect that barrel char had upon its contents, and a new method of aging was born…or not. Before his death in 1809, Craig’s distillery and farm would encompass roughly 4,000 acres, which were tended by several of his slaves, and he also operated a retail store in Frankfort, Kentucky to sell his bourbon product. One of Craig’s contemporaries wrote at the time, “His preaching was of the most solemn style; his appearance as of a man who had just come from the dead; of a delicate habit, a thin visage, large eyes and mouth; the sweet melody of his voice, both in preaching and singing, bore all down before it.” Though one would assume that a bourbon named after an 18th Century distiller would have a long and storied history, the first bottle of Elijah Craig was produced by Heaven Hill distillery only in 1986, and it used the same 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley age statement as today. Once carrying a 12-year age statement, it has since been dropped, and the bourbon is made from a blend of younger whiskies. A single barrel Elijah Craig with an 18-year age statement is still available, however. The 94-proof, NAS bottle I sampled is a pick by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control agency. NOSE: The nose is reminiscent of a gentlemen’s club - not the strip club kind but the formal and elite kind with monocle-wearing dudes sporting smoking jackets - and offers a great combination of pipe tobacco, leather, and maple syrup.. PALATE: Despite the fact that it has no age statement, Elijah Craig has the same significant amount of oak as most well-aged bourbons. Caramel and brown sugar are present, and a strong hint of cherries develops on the back of the palate. FINISH: Oak and barrel char dominate the medium-to-long finish, but it is not at all drying. A pleasant heat rises but stops and simmers at just the right level. FINAL ASSESSMENT: The ABC Select Spirits Elijah Craig barrel pick is a good, but not great, bourbon. Though not complex, it is perfectly pleasant and does its job. For the price of $24.99, it’s a satisfying daily drinker.