Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

Note: These bottles all have some form of label damage, but all seals are levels are good.

Reverend Elijah Craig was an extraordinary pioneer in the the US State of Kentucky. He opened the state's first classical school and donated land to establish Georgetown College. He built the first fulling mill (for cloth), ropewalk (for hemp), paper mill, lumber and grist mills in the state. And to round it all out, in 1789 founded a distillery. It's here that the whiskey legends begin.

Craig is often referred to as “the inventor” or "Father" of Bourbon whiskey as we know it today, by virtue of being the first to store and transport (and in the process mature) corn whiskey in charred oak casks. The Bourbon scholar Charles Kendrick Cowdery has a slightly more reticent take on this history. “Craig was a real person - a major character in early Kentucky history - and he was a distiller… What is lacking is any evidence that Craig's whiskey was unique in its day.”

Cowdrey offers an interesting take on how the legend may have gained the status of historical fact. In the face of religious and prohibitionist anti-whiskey ferment, the pro alcohol lobby found inspiration in Craig “...distillers and their supporters were quick to embrace the notion that bourbon was 'invented' by a respected Baptist preacher!” It was clever propaganda that must have enraged prohibitionists and left others questioning the righteousness of the movement.

As we understand, this is the first of the 'new' Elijah Craig to be released, now produced at Heaven Hill Distilleries, the second largest holder of Bourbon in the world. The original Elijah Craig distillery in Bardstown was burnt down over thirteen years ago. Some believe the quality of the whiskey is no longer the same. It's all the more reason to stock up the 18 year old before it too becomes the stuff of whiskey legend!

Tasting note: [Tasted from a near full bottle that had been open for 6 months]. Bright copper colour. A mild shellac note dissipates soon after pouring. The bouquet is on the drier side exhibiting aromas of buttered corn, cocoa and vanilla with a touch of rye contributing an attractive spiciness. The palate is one dimensional with semi sweet flavours of grilled corn delivered with a concentrated, spicy attack that builds towards the warm, tingly finish. Concludes mild, with a subtle drying aftertaste. Straightforward Bourbon that’s a little out of balance. 47% Alc./Vol.

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