Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon (45% ABV) was first introduced by Heaven Hill in 1994, but as demand for the rare whiskey grew along with the growing demand for Heaven Hill’s other bourbons, there were not enough 18 Year Old barrels, so the bottling was discontinued in 2012.
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| Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon |
Since then, stocks have come back into line, allowing Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel to be re-released with an initial run of 15,000 bottles.
The selection process for the Elijah Craig Single Barrel is one of the most stringent at Heaven Hill. From an aging inventory of 1.1 million barrels, the second largest American whiskey holdings in the world, Master Distillers Craig Beam and Denny Potter only select barrels that have rested at low storage, and then further choose only those that meet their strict nosing and taste criteria.
While taste nuances will vary slightly from one barrel to the other, as they should in a single barrel offering, in general they have selected for complex, multi-layered taste profiles that balance the 18 years in new charred oak with sweet and spicy grain notes. As befits a Bourbon that has seen 72 variable Kentucky seasons, the finish is long and warm.
Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon quickly gained a cult following upon its original release as the oldest single barrel Bourbon on the market.
Heaven Hill Brands has also announced it’s re-releasing its Elijah Craig 23 Year Old bottling, which has been released in limited quantities since 2013.
Commenting on the Elijah Craig re-releases, Susan Wahl, Senior Brand Manager for Whiskeys at Heaven Hill Brands, said: “We at Heaven Hill have been offering aged Bourbons and single barrel bottlings as old as 18, 23, or even 27 years, for longer than anyone else. Our experience in this arena, along with our renowned quality standards and inventory of over one million aging barrels, means we can select and bottle extra-aged Bourbons that are unlike any others in the world, and provide a unique tasting experience for the true aficionado. This is really showcased in the Elijah Craig 18 and 23-Year-Old Single Barrel bottlings.”
Elijah Craig 18 Year Old and 23 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbons, will be available across the US next month for the respective RRP’s of $120.00 and $199.00.
Posted by Steve Rush