I love Elijah picks. I have a ridiculous number of them and they all have fun variations between them. This bottle comes from Gordon's which is a great set of stores from MA. This bottle was released at their grand opening of a new store in Arsenal Yards.
Company on Label: Elijah Craig (Heaven Hill)
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Barley
Proof: 94°
Age: 8 years
Further identification: Gordon's Arsenal Yards-2021 store pick; Barrel Serial No 6224901 from Rickhouse LL, Floor 5
Nose: Early on some peppery cinnamon & allspice, surprising for an Elijah pick to be more rich than sweet. Citrusy oak. As things settle into the glass and finally meet some fresh air, more of those sweet candy fruits I would expect start to sneak out of their slumber. The spicy oak is doing well to keep this interesting where a more traditional caramel note might usually lie as the base background note. This must be an artifact of the higher floor and older age. Dusty oak and a yummy citrus cleaner note I love. Vanilla squeaks out past the darker flavors eventually. Nice rye spice coming through despite the low (10%) rye content, which is enjoyable to me. That nice dry paper smell I usually get from Heaven Hill. This is an impressive showing of one of my favorite single barrel offerings.
Palate: Thin syrupy cherry and again that allspice and pepper bite. I get that molasses that presents light and airy, not overpowering. A tiny bit metallic, but in a beneficial way to the overall experience. Vanilla starts to develop very well later in the pour; it gets chased by lighter spices and a thorough mouth coating that sticks best to the roof of my mouth. This almost drinks like a HH BiB, but with extra spice. Really impressed with the complexity on what is normally a very straightforward bottle. I think I like where Ken's palate leans towards.