Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel takes fully matured Elijah Craig Small Batch and finishes it in a second, custom-toasted new oak barrel. It launched in 2020 and is bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV).
About This Bourbon
Heaven Hill spent several months with Independent Stave Company developing the finishing barrel. The staves are air-dried for 18 months, then toasted at a moderate temperature that rises slowly, and finally flash-charred. Toasting darkens the wood without cracking the surface, bringing out dark sugars in the oak. Because the second barrel is new and charred, the whiskey keeps its Kentucky straight bourbon status. The bourbon is re-entered at barrel proof and finished for several months.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Toasted oak and rich caramel, with roasted pecan.
- Palate: Big and layered, spice and pepper giving way to milk chocolate and a wisp of smoke.
- Finish: Warming, with chocolate and baking spice lingering.
Serving & Food
The brand recommends it neat, which is the way to taste the toasted oak. A few minutes in the glass helps the chocolate come forward. A salted caramel tart picks up the toasted sugar notes.
How to Enjoy
A sipping bourbon for those who like sweeter oak, and a good side-by-side with Small Batch.
Product Details
Producer: Heaven Hill
Expression: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon
Finish: Custom-toasted, flash-charred new oak barrel
Released: 2020
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
ABV: 47%
Proof: 94
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Heaven Hill is a Bardstown company that distils its whiskey at the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. Its range runs from Evan Williams and Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond to Larceny and Elijah Craig.
Toasted Barrel opened a line of finishing experiments for Elijah Craig, followed by a Toasted Rye in 2024 made the same way.