BOTM 9/07: Elijah Craig 18yo

September is a special month for bourbon lovers. Drawn from around the world, they descend on Bardstown, KY to share and marvel in the phenomenon that is KY Straight Bourbon Whiskey. In honor of the KY Bourbon Festival, and to Bettye Jo and Heaven Hill, who are always most gracious hosts to SB.com in Bardstown, the Bourbon of the Month for September 2007 is: Elijah Craig 18yo.

The older sibling of the 12yo, EC18 takes bourbon lovers down a different path with an array of uniquely intense flavors and aromas. Not for the faint of heart, this brand demonstrates that all bourbon whiskey is not the same, and that there is a time and place for each.

Help us celebrate the 2007 KY Bourbon Festival by raising a glass of EC18 to bourbon, fun and friendship :toast:

:893drillsergeant-thSound off:893drillsergeant-th

What a wonderful honor :grin: :grin: :grin:

Thanks Jeff :grin: :grin:

We will brag on this honor proudly :grin: :grin:

I'm deep in the mist of pulling things together for the Boone Shindig/Straightbourbon.com, Bourbonian Taster of the Year 2007 :grin: :grin: :grin:

Most of you know that Elijah Craig, Single Barrel 18 is my favorite :grin: :grin: :grin: It's what I like in bourbon :grin: :grin:

I always keep a bottle open for guests...The one in my collection (never to be opened) was given to me by the "chiefs" at Heaven Hill...for causing such a "ruckus" on the grounds of Spalding Hall :grin: :grin: :grin: I ran the booth for them in the early days of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. We rolled out a new look for the Fighting Cock Bourbon...I dressed the booth like a "chicken coup"...Went to Wal-Mart and bought a feather pillow...cut it open and let it flY--->in the booth...Feather's were everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bigeyes: :bigeyes: :grin: :grin: :grin: the wind picked up and everyone had feathers! :grin: :grin:

It was one of those things that you know you are going to catch hell for but you do it anyway... kinda things :grin: :grin:

Elijah Craig 18 will tell you just about everything you need to know about very old bourbons; the good, the bad, and the transcendent. It's where you find all of those flavors that people who hate tasting notes find so unfathomable: pipe tobacco, old leather, smoked meat...that sort of thing.

EC18 also is one of the few very-olds you can count on to be consistent because it is one of the few (along with the BTAC) that comes from a distiller producer.

I like EC18 but it isn't a bottle I reach for often. It has such strong flavors it is hard to drink it casually. It demands that you pay attention so drink it when you are alone, because you don't want people to see you talking back to your glass.

I agree that It being a bottle that I don't reach for, but I do appreciate Elijah Craig 18 for all of the reasons that were stated. I also appreciate the price point. At that age to be consistently below $0 in this market is to be respected.

Well, I've never had it. But a quick search on the LCB website tells me there are a few bottles available in my general vicinity. I have been looking for an excuse to pick up a bottle of this to try (EC12 is one of my favorite poker night bottles - bang for your buck kind of thing).

With the understanding that this will be different (and with an open mind) I shall track one of these bottles down. I shall drink it thinking of chicken feathers and the gathering in Bardstown (thanks for the imagery boone).

I keep coming back to this pour.... Usually I don't like high oak content, but for some reason, EC 18's astringency is a feature --- not a flaw. I find adding just a touch of water really brings out the complexity.

EC18yo was one of the first "premium bourbons" I tried, I was overwhelmed and confused.
It was different every time I tried it.
I did not pick up the char that some people complain about.
But a year later I gave one to my Father-in-Law for Christmas and after that elasped time I have matured in bourbon tasting and the char hit me right off the bat.
I kept sippin' and it changes in your glass while sipping it.
I do need to get another one now that more time has passed, I think maybe now I am worthy of what I consider Heaven Hill's highly under-rated and most exquisite expression to date.

I always said, this bourbon is great. Some of it is actually 22-25 years old (speaking of old bourbons).

I think in my considered "mature years" (oh yeah?) I've decided I either like very old bourbons or youngish ones. Some kind of synergy occurs between the barrel and the whisky at advanced ages that isn't linear, if you dig.

Same thing with the great 15, 20 and 23 year ORVWs and the KBD Vintage bourbons.

Gary

When I fisrt got here I did a side by side of 3 old HH products. Some might find it interesting.

3 old bourbons

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OscarV

EC18yo was one of the first "premium bourbons" I tried, I was overwhelmed and confused.
It was different every time I tried it.
I did not pick up the char that some people complain about.
But a year later I gave one to my Father-in-Law for Christmas and after that elasped time I have matured in bourbon tasting and the char hit me right off the bat.
I kept sippin' and it changes in your glass while sipping it.
I do need to get another one now that more time has passed, I think maybe now I am worthy of what I consider Heaven Hill's highly under-rated and most exquisite expression to date.

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This whiskey is a bit austere. My wife, who is familiar with the aroma of eucalyptus confirmed that it is dominant in the early life of the pour. Over the last 20 minutes, I'm getting much more leather and char with a mild caramel/candy backbone. This whiskey is much drier on the palate than I remember/anticipated. I'm really enjoying this pour tonight and feel somewhat guilty for speaking poorly of this bourbon in the past. It's certainly unique and worth a spot on the shelf.