Hannah’s Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Review
Original review written on December 28, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Sweetness with a mellow base of fruit and brininess, this is a unique bottle, while still definitely a Heaven Hill product. I’ll enjoy this one quite a lot. 87/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: Heaven Hill 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
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Price: $54.95 USD in Idaho 2021
Visit heavenhill.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed this bourbon neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I imagine a movie theater pairing with this whiskey quite well. While it is full of sweetness, I can’t help but want movie theater popcorn to join to even out the salt/sweetness combo even more. It’s easy sipping – and by extension, easy eating. Next movie night, or tv binge I indulge in, Elijah Craig Toasted is gonna be sitting right next to me with some popcorn; I am determined.
Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
NOSE:
Sweetness comes across the nose first, with vanilla taffy and brown sugar seeming to lead the charge. There is also butterscotch candies and a chocolate nougat quality – even fudgy. I can find a praline element, with salted nuts – coming through with the chocolate. What is impressive, is that despite there being all of these sweet notes, the nose does not come across as sickeningly sugary. Instead, there is a definite brininess (perhaps appearing with the salted nuts) that provides an extra layer of depth and balances out the candies and chocolates.
The alcohol is mild, and even deep draws don’t burn. Can’t find a great deal of oak, despite this being strongly marketed as a toasted barrel product. Nevertheless, the aromas are inviting, and I am looking forward to taking a sip.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Soft. Not much else to say, but that it’s soft and easy to hold.
– Balance: Though this is sweetness heavy, the mellowness and nuttiness and fruit allow the sweet to shine but not aggressively so.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, this leaves many thick legs dropping from an ill-defined crown. They drop quickly, leaving behind several droplets that fall in a secondary curtain of legs.
– Taste: The sweetness from the nose continues from there into the palate. More vanilla, brown sugar, (even marshmallow now), certainly, but there is also newfound fruit as well. A gourmet chocolate with a fruit jam (marionberry) inside, this pops in the most pleasant of ways on the palate. The nuts are still here as well, but they don’t seem as salted as they were before. If anything, they are like peanut crumbs, matching with the chocolate perfectly. I also find more of the corn influence here, with soft, natural sweetness coming through.
The alcohol is still incredibly gentle, and I don’t have any concern that it could burn. A Kentucky chew doesn’t push the alcohol forward too much either, though there is a slight bite. Instead, a pastry confection comes forward with fruit and vanilla icing and chocolate that makes my mouth simply salivate.
The wood has yet to burst forward either, though it does seem to be a bit more present on the palate than it was on the nose. The oak in it acts as a base for the other flavors, with the objective certainly to be subtle.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Medium. Moderate warmth lingers on the palate along with some minor aftertaste.
– Between Sips: The corn sweetness I find the most between sips, with the slightest hint of vanilla. This aspect of the bourbon, truthfully, is nothing too memorable or remarkable, but it is decent.
– No More: This certainly stays consistent as I go through the glass. If anything, this continues to mellow out. It must be a result of the toasted barrel – while not imparting a great deal of flavor, it continues to act as a strong base for the other flavors to play off of.
The empty Glencairn is sweet, straight sawdust. Entirely enjoyable, and I’d love it in a candle.
WORTH THE PRICE?
At a little more than $50, and still cheaper than Elijah Craig Barrel Proof offerings, I do think that this bourbon is worth the price. I don’t know if I’d want to pay much more than the $55 for this, but it is quite solid. If you like sweetness and mellowness brought on by toasted quality, give this a try.
ELIJAH CRAIG TOASTED BARREL REVIEW RATING: 87/100
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