The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
BourbonIssue 81

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Elijah Craig · Heaven Hill Distillery

94 proofNASKentucky, USA
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.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

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.

Specifications
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
Serve & Pair

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

The Story

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.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More from Heaven Hill Distillery
Ron Zacapa Edición Negra
Rum

Ron Zacapa Edición Negra

Ron Zacapa

Edición Negra takes Zacapa's high-altitude solera system and pushes it toward heavier charred casks, producing a darker, more brooding rum than its siblings. The result is a spirit that trades some of the Centenario 23's honeyed charm for genuine complexity and a savory edge. Whether you sip it neat or pair it with a robust dessert, this is rum built for contemplation.

86 proof
Michter's 10 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Bourbon

Michter's 10 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Michter's

Michter's 10 Year exemplifies the discipline of selecting barrels that can handle a full decade without tipping into over-oaked bitterness. This is bourbon that rewards slow sipping — each minute in the glass unlocks new layers. A benchmark for what extended aging should accomplish in Kentucky whiskey.

94.4 proof
Don Pilar Añejo Tequila
Tequila

Don Pilar Añejo Tequila

Don Pilar

Don Pilar's Añejo delivers genuine agave character that has been shaped, not masked, by eighteen months in oak. This is añejo the way it should be done — the wood serves the spirit, not the other way around. At its price point, it competes well above its weight class, offering depth and balance that many pricier añejos struggle to achieve.

80 proof
Jensen's Old Tom London Gin
Gin

Jensen's Old Tom London Gin

Jensen's

Christian Jensen spent years researching nineteenth-century recipes to reconstruct an authentic Old Tom profile. The result is not a novelty — it is a genuine revival, offering a window into what gin tasted like before London Dry became the dominant style. Essential for anyone building a historically informed Martinez or Tom Collins.

86 proof
More Bourbon Reviews