Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey is Heaven Hill’s 94-proof small-batch Kentucky bourbon, drawn from fewer than a hundred barrels that spent a full twelve years in new charred oak. The mash is 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley — the same recipe as the older single barrels. Reverend Elijah Craig is credited with aging whiskey in charred casks; this 12-year bottle is the age-stated small batch that made that name a value pour. Worth keeping around for slow sips and simple cocktails.

Honey, vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar lead, with raisin and roasted nuts underneath. The palate is warm and woody: toffee, oak char, and a thread of spice and cinnamon. It finishes medium-long, sweet then dry, with toasted oak hanging on. At 94 proof it has enough grip for a neat pour without the heat of the barrel-proof line.