Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Big C

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Big C is a Big C Liquors store pick: an elevated, store-only barrel of Heaven Hill's uncut Elijah Craig, exclusive to this shop. The mash is 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, the same Bardstown recipe as the national Barrel Proof batches, left undiluted and without chill filtration so the charred oak and corn sweetness stay at full strength. A store-only pour worth lingering over with friends.

New charred oak and that corn-heavy mash put caramel and vanilla in the glass, with rye spice from the 10% rye riding the heat of barrel proof. The body is heavier than proofed-down Elijah Craig because the water stayed out. The finish is long and warming, oak and spice holding after the sip.