whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Review

Posted on 06-January-202028-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Review

original review updated on Friday, 03-Janaury-2020

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH BOURBON REVIEW:

Elijah Craig Small Batch was one of the first bourbons with which I began my whiskey journey and it is still a viable shelf option today. While my tastes have changed and Elijah Craig may never hold the favored spot on the shelf it once did, it is a quality dram at a phenomenal price. Consider reserving a space in the bunker for a bottle to share with friends. At about $30 USD Elijah Craig is a GREAT value bourbon.

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH VITAL STATS:

Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Type: Small Batch
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery
Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: nas
Non-chill filtered
ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho
Availability: Readily Available

https://heavenhill.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

Originally reviewed in 2017, I felt it was time to revisit this old friend. For this evaluation, I shared the whiskey neat from special Elijah Craig whiskey glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

When first brought to the nose, buttery brown sugar caramel jumps from the Glencairn. Its aromas are both dry and warm. Careful nosing can detect roasted sweet corn and strange citrus notes of orange skittles – but it works! Additional nosing brings on dark berry nectar and dark fruit leather made of currents and prunes. For my nose, there’s not much spice here; maybe a little warm and mellow allspice or ginger with a slight yeasty element. After the whiskey has rested in the glass for a bit, the original sweetness I senced is reduced to rich vanilla and maybe a scant trace of dark maple syrup. Overall, Elijah Craig Small Batch is earthy, musty and leathery with components of toasted and seasoned old oak.

PALATE:

In the mouth, this whiskey is both dry and warm as it offers up a slight bite. Upon subsequent sips, the dram coats the mouth with flavors of roasted corn, dusty grain and the grassiness of fresh mown hay. As the vegetation subsides, dark prune fruit leather duels with spices of warm ginger, black pepper, and rye. Any sugary sweetness detected on the nose is gone, replaced with an earthy mustiness of old leather and the hazy barrel char of seasoned old oak.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Elijah Craig Small Batch is well blended. While it is smooth, it does give the throat a slight tickle, even though it has a bit of weak mouthfeel. When swished in the Glencairn, it clings then gives way to a curtain of fat legs which leave a broken crown.

FINISH:

Elijah Craig offers up a dry medium finish with a lingering warmth on the roof of the mouth and in the throat. As I sit back prunes, black pepper and rye blend with the musty leather. When the glass is emptied, solid old oak planks waft from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 87/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

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Elijah Craig Small Batch Review

Posted on 06-January-202028-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Small Batch Review

Original review written on January 3, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

One of the best introductions to bourbon you can always find, at a friendly proof, and an inoffensive price. Great even for those who know their way around the spirit. Highly recommend! Read on for my full Elijah Craig Small Batch Review here! 88/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Corn=78%; Rye=10%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Non-Chill filtered
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

Visit heavenhill.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from special Elijah Craig whiskey glasses with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

On a cool autumn evening, enjoy Elijah Craig Small Batch beside a roaring campfire with the wispy smoke and sparkling embers dancing in the wind above you. Your log bench is comfortable and the warmth of the bourbon feels as though it could compete with the heat of the flames.

Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash

NOSE:

Black pepper is at the forefront of the warming glass, along with leather and a musty old feel. Deep inhales find chopped red peppercorns, ethanol, rye, and strong oak. All of these spices actually make for a gritty texture, even on the nose. I’m fighting for a sweetness, but it’s difficult. All I can find is a whisper of hard butterscotch candies and figs. Overall, spice is dominant, but the alcohol accompanying it isn’t overly affronting.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Silken and pleasant with a touch of bite.
– Balance: Each flavor blends seamlessly into the next.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, this coats the glass without leaving legs, but there is a crown.

– Taste: The leather from the nose is very present, along with the figs which have suddenly taken a bigger role here on the palate. The fig comes through in a way akin to what you’d find in a Fig Newton snack – there’s a pinch of nutmeg and an overall dryness that is quite satisfying.

Rye and white pepper sit at the back of the palate. Also at the back of the throat is the subtle sweetness of a Mexican gummy candy dusted in chili powder making this even more fun to play with.

I find the alcohol a little more pronounced here as well, married to a healthy barrel char, roasted corn and fibrous raw grain stalks – almost grassy.

The old age of the nose is here too, being regal in how it combines with seasoned (now light) oak.

A Kentucky chew makes the leather pop with the earthy tones to make the mouth salivate. It’s a vibrant bourbon that packs a punch when allowed.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. I find warmth, and I think it can grow exponentially with not a lot of force, but for mild sipping, the warmth is confined to the mouth and the smallest bit of the throat.
– Between Sips: The figs of leather are at it again between sips, but the various spices do come out every now and then, along with the grassy flavors.

– No More: As I expected, the bourbon does grow in warming effects the further into the glass I get. Occasionally, there’s the essence of cherry but it fades quickly each time it shows up. Otherwise, the flavors originally present are there in the same capacity and concentration as before.

The empty Glencairn is a soft, mellow oak – comforting and warm. The oak could be stronger, but I’m not complaining.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Without a doubt. Whether you’re new or seasoned to whiskey, it’s an appreciated bottle.

RATING: 88/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 88/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

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Whiskey Reviews

Dry Fly Port Finish Review

Posted on 02-January-202027-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Dry Fly Port Finish Review

Original review written on December 31, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This one is bursting from the bottle in memories, and I am extremely pleased. If you like fruity flavors and don’t mind a little sweetness, grab yourself a bottle! Read on for my full Dry Fly Port Finish Review here! 91/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Spokane, Washington, USA
– Distiller: Dry Fly Distilling
– Classification: Port-barrel Finish Washington Whiskey; Twice distilled
– Age: 3 yrs. plus an additional 6-12 months in huckleberry infused port barrels*
– Mash Bill: 100% local soft white wheat from eastern Washington
– Casks: New 53-gallon American oak barrels; Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Price: $36.95 USD in Idaho
*Port barrels are from neighbor Townshend Cellar in Washington, which produces huckleberry port. The juice that goes into the port barrels is the Dry Fly Straight Wheat Whiskey.

Find more information about this whiskey on dryflydistilling.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat on New Year’s Eve 2019 from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this whiskey here!

SETTING:

This one is full of memories – standing in an old two-story winery with the tastings on the second floor. Little dried huckleberries in custom packaging are like candy and every sense, from sight to smell is overflowing with a perfect, cozy warmth.

Photo by Daniel Vogel on Unsplash

NOSE:

At a gentle 90 proof, you aren’t likely to get hurt on this one. I’m met instantly with a wheat-y sweetness that has a fruit lingering just behind – likely the huckleberry from the port barrels. This glass in particular happens to be the last of the bottle; I remember the huckleberry being much more prominent in the first pours, but at bottle’s end, this is still enjoyable. I find a little milk chocolate and very little spice. The oak is also sweet, yet still managing to be warming.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Rough and gritty with a lot of weight to it. Love it!
– Balance: The fruit may be too much for some, but I think there’s enough spice to make for a nice blend.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, there is a nonexistent crown, but there are long, clinging legs present.

– Taste: Juicy huckleberries are immediately apparent along with the unaggressive bite of black pepper and ginger, but there it is strong enough to cut through the fruit. Nevertheless, this is a sugary whiskey that I can imagine being too much for some, like my father. I, personally, am enthralled by it.

The straight wheat of the mash bill is present as well, making for a rough breadiness, which results in a wheat toast with huckleberry jam in a bottle. Y-U-M.

A Kentucky chew livens the alcohol, making the fruit even spicier and leaving the mouth feeling tingly and warm. The oak is there, but just as an undertone that blends the other flavors really well.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long; I feel a lingering warmth that hovers in the upper chest.
– Between Sips: I remember huckleberries giving me a lasting impression in earlier pours, but now the bite of black pepper and ginger mingle at the back of the throat as well.

– No More: All of the flavors intensify the further into the glass I get, along with the addition of some cherries that are still very sweet. The spice is still there too, keeping the warmth alive and well.

The empty Glencairn is a sweet oak sawdust with the huckleberry still – miraculously – sticking around. I enjoy this one start to finish every pout … Now, to buy another bottle.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Absolutely. I’d like to keep this one around on the shelf for sure.

RATING: 91/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

To access other whiskies with this rating, click 91/100.
Click Dry Fly to read my thoughts on other whiskey from this distillery.

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