Elijah Craig 18 Year Old

Spirit Type: Rating:	Bourbon
Score:	87/100
ABV:	45%
Region:	Kentucky, United States
Body:	Medium-full
Intensity:	Medium (blunt high intensity finish)
Texture:	Medium-oily
Balance:	Heavenly
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Blunt oak, raisins, vanilla, dark chocolate, citrus, filtered coffee
Tasting notes:	Hallelujah! I have been wanting to try the Elijah Craig 18 Year Old for a very long time, and it does not disappoint. Named after a Baptist preacher from Virginia, this bourbon is definitely praiseworthy. The aroma of blunt oak slams against the nose with shades of vanilla and dark chocolate coated raisins with a twist of lemon and lime juice. In the backdrop sits a freshly brewed filtered coffee, Americano style (being a shot of espresso drowned in lots of hot water) and topped with whipped cream and nuts, that moves onto the palate with that dense blunt oak and cocoa as the raisins develop into sweeter and plumper sultana to counteract that spicy bitterness. The grain is sensational too, and the oak influence allows the rye to shine through the thick coating of creamy brewed coffee and honeyed sultana with bright shimmers of corn flashing from time to time. Then, the finish presents a warm glowing honeyed sweetness with lingering whipped cream mingling with that watered down espresso and the buzz of dried plum
Likes:	Deliciously smooth and not oak dominated for such an old bourbon. There is no sharpness either. This bourbon presents a "blunt" oak that is superbly balanced by the other character. Remember, Kentucky has a warmer climate than Scotland so for a whiskey to age for 18 long years in that Kentucky climate is something very special. The whiskey can draw out the flavour of the oak in a different way because the warmth causes the pores in the oak to expand etc which permits more interaction between the oak and the spirit. The warm climate also means that the spirit is likely to evapourate at a higher rate (known as "Angel's share"), so after 18 years there may not be much left in the barrel.
Dislikes:	Despite being wonderfully dense, it lacks some punch
Price:	$125 (Australia); (about $70 in the US)