After my recent oral surgery, I had to swear off bourbon for a few days. When I was able to enjoy it again, I thought it would be fun to expand my experience with one of my favorite budget bourbons: Elijah Craig Small Batch. Here’s my review of it and a couple of other Elijah Craig products that I tried for the first time.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
94 proof, mash bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley*
Retails for $29.99 for 750 ml; here in Georgia, I can get a handle (1.75 l) for $59.99.
Since this is one of my favorite budget bourbons, I had to force myself not to let my familiarity get in the way and tried to treat it like I was drinking it for the first time. And since it was the first bourbon I’ve had in a week and a half, it felt like a first drink.
The aroma carries scents of apple, caramel (but not caramel apple), and oak. Drinking it neat for the first time in over a week, the heat caught me off guard. One of the things that drew me to Elijah Craig Small Batch for the first time was a reviewer who said that one of the tasting notes was orange slice candy, and once again, it was there. The rye spice is nice, and the main notes were that orange slice flavor, along with a happy medium between toffee and butterscotch.
Drinking it on the rocks — my preferred method — smooths the flavors out and lessens the heat just a bit. But the tasting notes are the same, especially the orange slice candy. Since I can’t eat them now because of my surgery recovery and can’t eat them often anyway because they trigger reflux in me, having that flavor in one of my favorite bourbons is a pleasure for me.
Rating: 10/10 (It's always a go-to of mine.)
Related: In Praise of Inexpensive Bourbon
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
94 proof, mash bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley*
Retails for $55-$65
Toasted Barrel is a variation on my old familiar Small Batch. True to the name, it’s finished in a custom toasted new oak barrel. It’s similar enough to Small Batch to not feel like a new adventure but different enough to be new and fresh.
I noticed a similar aroma to Small Batch, but when I taste it neat, I catch the same tasting notes as Small Batch with added elements of graham crackers and marshmallow. It’s almost a s’mores flavor without chocolate. The heat is less prominent than what I got from Small Batch.
Just like with Small Batch, drinking it on the rocks evens out the tasting notes. It’s less “toasted” than sweeter. The marshmallow and graham cracker notes are more prominent here. All in all, it’s a good variation on the Elijah Craig formula, albeit noticeably sweeter.
Rating: 9.5/10 (I’ll definitely come back to this one again.)
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Variable proof depending on the barrel — mine clocked in at 129 proof, mash bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley*
Retails for around $80
This one was a splurge purchase, so I was looking forward to trying it. At 64.5% ABV, it was obviously going to pack a punch, and it did when I tried it neat. The heat almost overpowered the indulgent caramel notes.
But it came alive when I tried it on the rocks. The intense caramel flavor was rich, and it called to mind expensive candy. The oak flavor pushed through, but the boldness of the spicy notes almost drowned it out.
Rating: 9/10 (It’s a splurge, so this might be a special occasion pour.)
That’s the skinny on these three Elijah Craig greats. Let me know if you’ve tried them and what your impressions are.
*This is Heaven Hill’s “regular” mash bill, and Heaven Hill doesn’t put mash bills on the labels.
