Great bourbon = Elijah Craig 12 year old

[mobourbon]

I like the EC 12. I've had 3-4 bottles of it and have enjoyed each one. I bought another bottle yesterday but haven't opened that yet.And, yes, the WT Russell's Reserve is incredible.

[bulldawg]

I agree. EC 12 is great. EC 18 is also good. I turned a buddy onto EC. He wasn't too wild about bourbon until he tried EC. Now when he comes over, he asks for EC 18 all the time.

[Barrel_Proof]

Rough, that, having to drink Heaven Hill's delicious 18 year old bourbon every time your buddy comes over! We should all have such obstacles to surmount! Carry on!

[idpa2000]

I must concur with your opinion on EC12. It is probably my most regular pour along with OGD BIB. Both priced right and both very tasty.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

It is indeed tasty and fabulously priced.

To some people, though, it appears to be almost like God´s gift to whiskey drinkers. On the basis of the earliest bottles that I´ve sampled I would be prepared to be take up a sympathetic attitude to this stance.

My last two bottles, however, is lacking somewhat in distinctiveness. I especially miss the earthshattering finish which managed to be both tasty, complex, agressive and almost never-ending.

Differing (and developing) tastebuds is of course a fact of life but in this case I suspect there´s lots of different bottlings out there. Could the fire att HH have something to do with this?

[Gillman]

Well, at 12 years of age, the barrels in the current bottlings would have been made at the original distillery. I think it is more a question of batches and mingling. The current bottles seem to have a greater finesse than the earlier.

Gary

[TNbourbon]

Could the fire att HH have something to do with this?

Seems unlikely. The Heaven Hill fire was in November 1996, or not yet 9 years ago. Since EC12 is, of course, a 12yo whiskey, any of that bourbon was distilled before the fire.
The one possible effect I can think of would be if bourbon that otherwise WOULD HAVE become EC12 instead of what DID become EC12 was lost in the blaze.
One would think, however, than the Beams could offset that with barrel selection, unless ALL the whiskey intended for EC12 was lost.
Bettye Jo?

[boone]

The one possible effect I can think of would be if bourbon that otherwise WOULD HAVE become EC12 instead of what DID become EC12 was lost in the blaze.

All Heaven Hill, bourbon (with the exception of wheated) starts out the same in the beginning. No particular barrels are earmarked "Elijah Craig"..."Evan Williams" etc...We use the same mash bill on all of them. The "AGE" and combining barrels (EC, small batch, fewer barrels) compared to "alot" of barrels (Evan Williams) and "one barrel" at a time with the "single barrel" is the only difference.

Back then, the (OLD) distillery produced 600-700 barrels a day. They were not loaded in the same warehouse day after day after day (completely empty, until completely full type of method). Some would go to Schenley, some to Deatsville some to Heaven Hill and so on. Alot of times it's filled according to space available. <font color="red"> </font> Deatsville, Schenley, Heaven Hill, are the "names" of our warehouses at different locations...Some are flat and some are tall houses

The distillery burned. 7 warehouses burned to the ground in what was recorded as the "hottest" fire ever. The only time off at the bottlinghouse, was the day of the fire. We went to work the very next day and (with the exception of the very strong smell of bourbon in the air and the news folks everywhere)...ya wouldn't have known that anything had happened.

Within days "other distilleries" loaned their stills to Heaven Hill so that Parker and Craig could make bourbon...Finally, we bought a Distillery in Louisville. Bernheim...

I remember when the 7 year anniversary of the fire approached. The gossip was, will there be a difference is our famous Evan Williams 7 year?...Nope...not at all, went right thru without a beat. Heaven Hill, has 40 warehouses filled with bourbon. It's the second largest holding of bourbon in the world. I don't think we have a shortage

I can imagine that when all the "anniversary's approach"...The same scenario will develop...On the nine and ten year (EWSB single barrel)...the twelve year (EC 12 year)...and the 18 year (EC 18 year,single barrel)...

Bettye Jo

[TNbourbon]

That's about what I thought, Bettye Jo. Thanks for the confirmation -- it sure is nice to have an on-the-spot expert at hand.
As many here know, I'm one of the odd dissenters on Elijah Craig 12yo. My only bottle not only didn't impress, I finally gave it away. I've recently spotted what I believe to be an older bottle (bottle-bottom marking of '97' with a faded, almost-white label) that I likely will try in hopes that the differences others noted do, indeed, exist, and that I find a bottle I like.
The EC18 is also on my "pretty soon" list to buy and try.

[Gillman]

Tim, I would advise the contrary, to try the very latest bottlings of EC 12 year old. In my view, the taste profile has smoothed out recently and hit a high point.

Gary