Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Elijah Craig · Heaven Hill Distillery
This is bourbon as long-term negotiation between spirit and wood. Eighteen Kentucky summers have given more than they've taken, and the result is a whiskey of uncommon poise. A masterclass in patience.
Nose
Decades of heat cycling have drawn extraordinary depth from the oak — waves of dark toffee, seasoned leather, and black cherry. Beneath that, a whisper of pipe tobacco and dried orange peel lingers.
Palate
Impossibly rich, yet not tannic or bitter. Charred oak and dark chocolate anchor the mid-palate while caramel and maple syrup provide sweetness. A subtle rye spice thread keeps everything in tension.
Finish
Long and warming, with lingering toasted pecan, leather, and a final note of vanilla that refuses to fade.
- Mash Bill
- 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
- Barrel Type
- New Charred American White Oak (Level 3)
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- Yes
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Long Summer — 2 oz Elijah Craig 18 Year · 0.5 oz demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over ice 30 seconds, strain into a rocks glass with a single large cube, express orange peel.
Food Pairing
Slow-smoked beef brisket rubbed with espresso, brown sugar, and black pepper, served with pickled red onion and cornbread. The charred bark of the meat mirrors the bourbon's toasted oak character.
Distilled at Heaven Hill's Bernheim facility in Louisville and aged in iron-rick warehouses where Kentucky's brutal summers force spirit deep into the grain of charred white oak barrels.
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