Day 2 of DB's Bourbon Trail 2023 Advent Calendar - Elijah Craig Private Barrel Select

Cheers and welcome to our 4th Annual Advent Calendar! Throughout the next month, we will be going on a high-end bourbon journey together and reviewing 25 bourbons from award winning distilleries across America. Starting on December 1st and ending on December 25th - we will get to experience everything from small batches to single barrels that are jam packed with flavor. Please join us in toasting to another incredible year and getting to virtually share some of our favorite bottles from this past year with you!

**This review has been completed by using a Glencairn glass and neat if you want to compare the same tasting notes as DB’s Bourbon Trail. BUT - the best thing about it being YOUR bourbon is that you get to enjoy it that way YOU want to and prefer! As long as it brings us together and you are enjoying it - pour it over ice, add water, or add it to a cocktail! It’s all about what makes you happy and what you enjoy - don’t let others influence you differently!**

Enough of me rambling, let’s dive into what brought us here!

Day 2 of DB’s Bourbon Trail 2023 Advent Calendar

Elijah Craig Single Barrel/Private Barrel Select by Gibby's Bottle Shop (Charleston, SC)

Proof:

• 94 Proof (47%)

Distillery:

• Heaven Hill Distillery/Elijah Craig Distillery Co. (Bardstown, KY)

Age Statement:

• 11 Years Old

Additional Information:

• Barrel Serial No: 6179023

• Rickhouse: Q

• Floor: 2

Message on the bottle:

FATHER of BOURBON.

Pretty simple messaging but what does it mean? To fully understand the meaning of the FATHER of BOURBON tagline, we need to know more about what makes bourbon, bourbon.

A couple quick hitters:

• Bourbon must be aged in charred white barrels

• Bourbon needs to be distilled from a blend of fermented grains, and out of those grains, it has to be at least 51% corn.

Okay cool, so how and why is Elijah Craig the "FATHER of BOURBON"?

Below is a little information from their Discover/History page to fully understand their backstory!

• "In 1789, Elijah Craig became the first distiller to age his whiskey in new charred oak barrels. Some claim that an accidental fire charred his barrels and changed the whiskey inside. Others say he stored his whiskey in former sugar barrels and was impressed with how charring improved the flavor."

• However it happened, Elijah Craig knew he had discovered something great. He continued to refine the barrel charring process, imparting smooth, rich flavor to the spirit that would become known as Bourbon. 250 years later, he is still known as the Father of Bourbon—and we craft our Bourbon today using the same time-honored methods.

Pretty cool if you ask me! Very thankful for Elijah Craig and this bottle that we are getting to enjoy today!

Price Point:

**At DB’s Bourbon Trail we utilize an app called BoozApp (not sponsored - we wish!) to ensure we are getting at least a fair price on our bourbon before purchasing. Nothing is worse than getting taken advantage of by a flipper playing the supply/demand game**

• Average MSRP:

  • $34.99

• Fair Price:

  • $37.09

• Shelf Price:

  • $34.99

• DB’s Bourbon Trail Instant Buy Price:

  • <$37.00

Review:

I came across this bottle back in April and let me tell you what - I fell in love with this single barrel. So much I went back in and almost bought a whole case. With that being said, it just felt right to share this experience with you all!

I think the age statement is what really makes this single barrel a difference maker. In my opinion, this single barrel expression runs circles around their normal small batch. Not having a blend of 8-12 years old barrels allows consistency throughout this whole pour. I would highly suggest buying an 11 year single barrel expression if you ever get the chance to!

Nose:

• The nose of this pour is pleasant. It has a rich aroma of brown sugar, smokey oak, and notes of vanilla dancing around after giving it a good swirl or two.

Palate:

• The palate is where this one absolutely wins it for me. It's a major honey bomb that is paired perfectly with notes of vanilla. As I continually revisit the pour, I do get gentle notes of smoked oak.

Finish:

• The palate rolls into the finish perfectly. The vanilla notes are still present and leaves a sweet vanilla cream impression that brings honey and a spice of cinnamon along for the ride.

Final Thoughts:

To be honest, I kind of wish I bought a second case after revisiting this bottle again. I think this drinks much better than any sub $40 bottle but I wouldn't expect anything less from a Gibby's Store Pick. It's absolutely delicious and with Elijah Craig being the FATHER of BOURBON, it's a bourbon history lesson all in one - what more can we ask for?!

Cheers y’all!

Interesting in what else we might have cooking? Learn more here!

Let's Connect!

• Have you ever had this pour?

• Thoughts on the review?

• Leave a comment below and share your experience - we would love to hear from you!