SPIRIT DETAIL

BRAND: Elijah Craig

CLASSIFICATION: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

AGE: 11 year 6 month

MASH BILL: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley

ALCOHOLIC CONTENT: 63.70% ABV | 127.40 proof

CASK INFO: #3 char virgin American oak | #6574482

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Big oak energy, cream soda, Tony’s homemade caramel chews, vanilla bean, red fruits

PALATE: Salted caramel sweetness, sweet tea tannins, rich old oak, cherry skins

FINISH: Raspberries, strawberries, all the berries, false tannins, long and lingering sweetness

BEHIND THE BOTTLE

The 5th expression of the FDIxEC Series is finally out! Coined Hyper Fiori.

Let’s set the scene. It’s a cold and extremely windy day at the Heaven Hill distillery as Ylli and the gang are approaching the distillery. Yeasty cereal aromas are all in the air as they step into the beautiful distillery. They were all approached by a warm welcome from Sylvia (Private Barrel Selection Specialist). After the formalities, they walk over to the barrel picking warehouse, where it felt to drop at least another 10 degrees in temperature. Wild.

Sylvia kicked things off: “Alright, I was told to treat y’all well. I’ve got my data sheet in front of me, and we’ve got the pick of the litter. You guys know the Alaskan market better than I do—are we looking for any specific profile today? What do the Alaskan people want?”

Without missing a beat, Long replied: “Alaskans want to go blind while having diabetes—if you know what I mean.” Sylvia nodded. She knew exactly what he meant: sweet heat.

Fast forward through a bit of barrel thieving—no one knowing what was in front of them—Sylvia reminded everyone: “We don’t pick by color, proof, or any of that. Just try them all and tell me what you think.” The ALCTD crew loved it. Blind tasting was absolutely the way to go.

There were some strong contenders, and the team was fully prepared to reject everything if nothing slapped. But two drams stood out. Ylli ended up vetoing Long’s top pick. It was classic Elijah Craig, sure—but a little too close to last year’s barrel. So, they chose the most unique one in the lineup: the one that shouted berries. Pulled from the legendary Deatsville property, EE rickhouse, 4th floor.

EDITOR’S NOTES: Absolute madness. This was my #2, however it was my #1 for the nose and palate. My #1 overall was EC to a tee, however, being reminded that we don’t want the same as last year, it was a no brainer picking this specific barrel. When the reveal happened, it was indeed the oldest barrel and the highest proof. We’re just a buncha basic bitches. This pick, revisiting after it’s been bottled is what KY Straight Bourb is, to a tee.

SOLD OUT!