Elijah Craig Barrel Select Shelf Review
Shelf Review
Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.
Heaven Hill is the Kentucky king of in-person distillery only releases. Every morning, outside the doors of Heaven Hill’s new experience center, a line of bourbon hungry enthusiasts forms, waiting for the 9:30AM release of hard to get products. Unlike other many other distilleries, Heaven Hill seems to fully embrace the hype around “distillery exclusive” drops.And while not every morning yields something incredible; for many, it’s the best opportunity they have at getting a Parker’s Heritage, an Old Fitzgerald, or a William Heaven Hill release.
I must admit, I have waited outside Heaven Hill in the cold, the rain, and the heat more times than I can count, and sometimes it just isn’t worth it. Once the doors open for the day, you only have a few previous moments to decide if the bottles behind the counter are worth grabbing – and often – they just aren’t. But sometimes they offer something you’ve never have seen before – including distillery only releases. We are going to dive into one of those distillery only exclusives today - Elijah Craig Barrel Select. This rare Elijah Craig release comes in a really interesting 200ml bottle that resembles a bourbon barrel. It clocks in at 62.5% ABV and comes from small batches with that classic Elijah Craig recipe of 78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% malted barley. When faced with the chance to buy this funky 200ml bottle, you may only have 5 minutes to make the decision to buy or pass, so I’m going to make this short. This is for you – the guy standing in line outside Heaven Hill trying to gameplan your purchase!
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 62.5%
Cask: New oak
MSRP: $30
Distillery Name: Heaven Hill
Review Date: 7/18/24
Nose: Softer than expected, full of toasted coconut, graham cracker, dusty cashews, and spicy cinnamon Nilla Wafers. Not the most complex or interesting nose but still solid Elijah Craig.
Palate: More spiced red fruit, French vanilla, lots of oaky caramel, and a touch of lemon zest. After a few sips there’s a growing spice on the midpalate that leads to a decent mouthfeel – but nothing extraordinary.
Finish: Creamy, long finish with a gentler more herbal character. There’s a lovely lingering freshness with each sip.
