Seems we just can’t get away from these “finished” Bourbons, and today is no exception because we are tasting Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. For those of you who don’t like Bourbon(crazy) or you Bourbon lovers who have been living under a rock the last 10-15 years, this finishing technique involves taking a regular Bourbon or rye through the normal aging process and then aging it in a different barrel. These second barrels could be charred, toasted, or could have been used barrels that held wine, port etc. From their website, “this unique expression takes fully aged, award-winning Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and finishes it in a custom-toasted barrel.” That pretty much sums up what is meant by secondary aging or finishing.
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrell sells for $50, is 94 proof, and comes in the same looking corked bottle as the rest of the EJ lines. There is no age statement, and it has a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. It is distilled by Heaven Hill and is an allocated product, meaning it has a limited production, so it could be hard to find.
We have liked some and disliked others when it comes to the secondary aging. Some seem to be covering up for either too young of a whiskey or one that is not good. Others seem to come across as a gimmick. We find the regular Elijah Craig to be a decent Bourbon at a decent price, so hopefully this will land in the we liked category.
NOSE
TB: Nothing jumps out, but it is a nice, balanced blend of vanilla, caramel, oak, and fruit. Slighter scents include leather, nuts, rye, and toast. Ice brings out more sweetness but at the cost of complexity.
TASTE
TB: Smooth neat with a taste similar to the nose with caramel, vanilla, oak, toast, and nuts. Behind these, getting some fruit and leather. One of us gets a bit of anise while another gets blackberry. Ice brought out more of the caramel and vanilla, and as one puts it, a barrel aged ice cream taste.
FINISH
TB: Medium with more sweetness and just a touch of spice.
OVERALL
TB: A tasty and somewhat complex Bourbon worth the $50.
Nose 3.5 out of 5
Taste 7 out of 10
Finish 3 out of 5
Total score 13.5 out of 20 barrels.
$50 is a good spot for this drink. Not over the top but not a bottom shelf dweller. It was nice neat, on the rocks, and made a good old fashion. There was really not much to dislike about this juice, and we would all buy again.
If you are on the lookout for a Bourbon that is a little different, somewhat complex, and not too pricey, you could do a lot worse than Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel.