This isn't my first taste of this by a long shot. It's my first in several years, however. Possibly my first since this lost an age statement. I'm not sure why I haven't kept a bottle in my circulation other than to say there are a lot of tastes to be experienced in one's lifetime and distractions happen. Tonight I'll correct this oversight. Tasted neat from a glencairn poured from a fresh bottle and allowed to rest for several minutes. The pour is deep amber. A swirl shows significant sheeting and small, slow tears running down to the bowl of the glass. Based on appearance alone I expect a rich mouthfeel. The nose is cherries, carmel, clove, and a Bananas Foster like rummy note. I get the slightest touch of oak and wood. What I'm not getting is any acetone or overt ethanol alcohol elements. This is a relatively benign 47% ABV and I like that I'm not getting that telltale "young" or "brash" note. Mouthfeel is as rich as the look suggested, with a nice creaminess. Cherries and apple are up front, along with a nice wave of what reminds me of sweet tapioca pudding. There's a nice touch of pepper at the back of the tongue and a warm, relatively quick finish that leaves a nice taste "trail". The finish is really the biggest weakness here. Similar to the sour departure of BT, this hits me with a slight bitter oak note. In a better bourbon this would be a deeper char/barrel note, but here its the give-away that this is a bit less refined. It's faint and I don't find it offensive at all in this price range. Like BT, EW, and a few others the distiller has hit a really nice balance point for an affordable whiskey. This is a super approachable, easy drinking bourbon. It's nicely complex without being demanding. Elijah Craig Small Batch deserves a spot on any bar with extra space for an inexpensive and agreeable tipple.