Hannah’s Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel 2019 Idaho State Liquor Division Batch #1 Review
Original review written February 29, 2020
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review: You may recognize that you’re drinking Heaven’s Hill’s Elijah Craig, but you’ll know that you’ve got something a bit more special and complex than the standard Small Batch offering. 89/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch; State Private Barrel Select
– Age: 9 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=78%; Rye=10%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Non-Chill Filtered
– Barrel Serial Number: 5682075*
– Warehouse: Q-5 (HH main)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho
*Barrel 5682075 was purchased by the Idaho State Liquor Division for exclusive release to state patrons. As a result, availability is highly limited.
Visit heavenhill.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian. For comparison methods, I also sipped the standard Elijah Craig Small Batch neat from a whiskey tumbler. I will make brief notes of comparison in this Idaho Private Barrel review.
Check out Brian’s review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I’d love to perch on a ridge, looking down in a crisp and green valley, grasses and trees swaying with a soft summer wind. The crystal blue skies match all of the vibrant greens in the valley and in the uprising slopes beyond. This pour is nature in a whiskey: complex, wild, and ever-surprising.
Photo by Zach Taiji on Unsplash
NOSE:
There is alcohol here, yes, but there is a floral component that is quite strong as well. With it are dark fruits, likely a stone fruit, but I can’t distinguish it further. There is allspice, heavier on the cinnamon perhaps, but it isn’t aggressive. I find a deep vanilla essence too, which makes for a pleasant balance. This couples with an equally dark brown sugar. I also can sense some pecans and seasoned oak. Overall, it has a robust character that is both warm and inviting.
– Compared to Elijah Craig Small Batch (ECSB): Batch #1 is much deeper than its standard sibling, with a larger brown sugar element.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Oily with a pleasant, tingly texture.
– Balance: Batch #1 is very complex; there is fruit, but earthy tones certainly dominate.
– Visual: Mahogany with Henna notes, there are thick legs that droop from a weak crown, but they drip quickly. (Note that ECSB is lighter in color.)
Elijah Craig Batch #1 (left); Standard Elijah Craig Small Batch (ECSB) (right)
– Taste: Not too alcohol forward, the fruit and flowers remain the most predominant flavors. While I feel like there are dark fruits, the vibe of this bourbon is remarkably light and fresh. I get a pinch of black pepper and some rye heat that eventually gives way to a cherry and apple flavored pastry, drizzled with some simple sugar frosting that isn’t overpowering the fruit at all.
The character also opens up here too, coming across earthier than it was on the nose, as I can taste a little bit of leather out of the glass along with a little bit of grass at the end of the sip.
The nuts have disappeared, but the oak seems stronger in the palate than in the nose, constituting a decent base for this bourbon.
A Kentucky chew keeps the sip smooth with a slight tingle. Dried cherries come out here, which mix with the leather, grass, and a dusty, earthy soil. Very complex and entertaining.
– Compared to ECSB: Batch #1 is far more complex and textured on the palate as well than the standard ECSB, with heavier spices and earthy richness being the most notable difference.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Short to medium. You know you’ve had a sip of bourbon, but you’ll forget pretty quickly.
– Between Sips: Grass and cherries stick around a bit between sips, but the natural subtlety of the grass soon mellows the cherries (and itself) into nothingness.
– No More: Without needing to get very far in the glass, the aforementioned fruits and pastry elements all but disappear, leaving grassy grains, leather (very aged/worn) and dusty soil to steal the stage. The cherries sneak in and out though, which keeps things interesting.
The empty Glencairn is a light oak that is only strong on a very deep inhales. Either way, I’m very pleased.
– Compared to ECSB: I actually think the standard ECSB outmatches Batch #1 in the finish, as ESCB persists with a greater sense of cherry flavors and more warmth.
WORTH THE PRICE?
I think I prefer Batch #1 to standard ECSB, but with both priced at just $30, you cannot go wrong with either of them.
RATING: 89/100
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