Elijah Craig 18 Year Old

from a purchased sample (Barrel 3416)

Nose: Butterscotch, toffee, and a healthy dose of oak. Honey, and then some of the rye comes out in grain and spearmint. Cloves as well. Brown sugar and just a little vanilla, suggesting spicy cinnamon cookies. Ginger, anise, and more mint. Just a touch of cherry and apple. The tannic oak firms up a bit with time as well.

Palate: An oddly, though refreshing, sweet and sour entry. Vanilla creme flan and buttermilk. Some honey and silken syrup. It turns quickly to soft clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. At the end, it passes more into sweet rye and fresh mint, though this is not minty, just distinct. Fairly strong oak presence, but seems relatively well balanced.

Finish: The mint, some rye grain, and the same syrupy quality. The oak is there, just less present. An older, gentle bourbon. I like this, and they've done a nice job keeping this aged number in check. It could use more oomph. It's great that a bourbon this old isn't over-oaked, but I still expect more complexity or character from something like this. This seems more like the sort of thing that you could find at a younger age and for much less money.

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