Today’s tasting is a relative newcomer to the rye market. Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey was introduced by Heaven Hill Distillery in 2019. From their website “This extraordinary extra-aged Rye Whiskey is the first to carry the name of Elijah Craig: the entrepreneur and distiller who is credited with being the first to age his American Whiskey in charred oak barrels to make Bourbon.” We could not find on the bottle, their web site or the internet what exactly that “extra aged” means.
Elijah Craig Rye is 94 proof, readily available, costs under $30, and comes in the same looking corked bottle as their Bourbon. The mash bill is 51% rye 35% corn, and 14% malted barley. That is a somewhat unique mash bill with only 51% rye and quite a bit of barley. As stated above, we could not find an age statement.
While this rye is new, most Bourbon drinkers are familiar with the Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, in fact, that Bourbon was a staple here at Talking Bourbon for years. But 5-6 years ago, they took off the age statement that said “8 years.” We didn’t notice the absence of the statement because where it used to be, they put a label that looked almost exactly like the one on the old bottle, sneaky. However, we did notice something different about the overall taste and nose, so we compared a new bottle to a picture of one we reviewed earlier, and that is when we spotted the difference. We have never really gone back to it since, so it will be interesting to see what this rye has to offer.
NOSE
Matt: Mostly rye and some floral scents, but also pick up some light vanilla and caramel. Ice brings out a weird orange cleaner-like smell.
Todd: Not a lot on the nose, some rye, a little malt, and a medicinal/perfuming/rose petal aroma. I don’t think I have ever smelled that combo in a whiskey. Ice brought out just a touch of spice.
TASTE
Matt: Strong rye and black pepper overtones followed by honey, leather, and a faint hint of orange. Ice brought out a bitter medicine-type flavor along with more of the tastes already mentioned.
Todd: A little hot neat with some rye and pepper. Also getting a little leather as well as the medicine that I got on the nose. Strangely enough, I taste something that reminds me of a rock or stone. Again, a very odd combination. Ice makes it smoother, but it didn’t really change much for me.
FINISH
Matt: Medium, with not a whole lot going on.
Todd: Medium with a little bit of spice.
OVERALL
Matt: Not a huge fan. Feel like you can get better even at this price.
Todd: Not the best sipping rye out there, definitely would be better in a cocktail.
Nose 2.5 out of 5
Taste 6.75 out of 10
Finish 2.5 out of 5
Total score 11.75 out of 20 barrels.
While the score was pretty low, remember the price is as well. And, as some of you know, we always make an old-fashioned after the tasting with whatever whiskey we have just reviewed, and Elijah Craig Rye made a pretty decent cocktail. If you are a big fan of bold ryes, this is definitely not your rye. With only 51% rye, it just barely qualifies as a rye. And with that much corn and the added 14% barley, this rye can come off as a high rye Bourbon. Nothing wrong with that, but you should know it before buying. As far as the “extra aged,” neither of us mentioned any type of wood in the nose or the taste.
As mentioned above, there are others, even at this price point, that we prefer, think Bulleit Rye and Rittenhouse Rye, to name a couple. Also, Knob Creek Rye is one of our favorites, and it is only $10 more, but it is also 6 more proof. In the end, at this price you should give Elijah Craig Rye a shot, maybe it will be your thing, it was not ours.