
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Elijah Craig · Heaven Hill Distillery
Heaven Hill's toasted barrel treatment gives this bourbon a second layer of wood influence without overwhelming the base spirit. It is a study in how an additional resting period in a different char environment can redirect familiar flavors into something notably rounder. A worthy daily drinker with enough complexity for contemplation.
Nose
Butterscotch and toasted marshmallow lead, followed by baking spice and a thread of dried orange peel. There is a distinct caramel corn sweetness that anchors everything without becoming cloying.
Palate
The entry is plush and buttery, with brown sugar and vanilla wafer giving way to charred oak and a whisper of dark cocoa. Midpalate brings warming cinnamon and a subtle nuttiness that adds dimension.
Finish
Medium-long, with lingering maple sweetness and a gentle tannic grip from the toasted barrel staves.
- Mash Bill
- 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak, finished in toasted new American oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Toasted Paper Plane — 1 oz Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel · 1 oz Aperol · 1 oz Amaro Nonino · 1 oz fresh lemon juice · Shake with ice and strain into a coupe.
Food Pairing
Brown butter pecan pie or smoked pork belly burnt ends
Finished in a second new oak barrel with a custom toast profile at Heaven Hill's Bardstown campus, this bourbon draws its distinctive sweetness from the slow caramelization of wood sugars during that extra interval of rest.
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