Elijah Craig Whiskey

Spring hath sprung and camp season is upon us. There are few better ways to celebrate the changing of the seasons than sitting by a campfire and enjoying a glass of whiskey. For our inaugural camp trip for 2022, we snagged a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch to enjoy on our expedition.

We have been at this whiskey-tasting hobby for a few years now. Yet, I can’t recall a time when I found a bottle of Elijah Craig on my bar. It is a bit surprising considering that this small-batch bottle I picked up is reasonably affordable. I am a teacher by trade, and if you know anything about the profession, we aren’t in it for the money. With an eye towards frugality, I am always on the lookout for bottles that are great to drink that won’t destroy my budget. This bottle is just that.

Elijah Craig: The Man

Elijah Craig himself was a Baptist minister who lived in Virginia in the 18th century. Throughout his life, he focused on expanding and growing his church. He became an advocate of freedom of religion and worked alongside James Madison and Patrick Henry in Virginia following the Revolutionary war. Eventually, freedom of religion would become enshrined as a fundamental right of all Americans with the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

Elijah Craig purchased some land in the area that would later become Georgetown, Kentucky. He led his congregation there in 1782 and started his classical school in 1787. Following the founding of this school, Craig became an entrepreneur, starting several businesses, including a paper mill and textile mill. He is also credited with founding the first fire department in Georgetown and donating the land that would become Georgetown College.

In 1789, Craig turned his attention to distilling whiskey as his newest business venture. At the time, the western boundary of the U.S. extended only to the Mississippi River. Everything west of the Mississippi belonged to European colonial powers such as France, Spain, and Russia. Whiskey distillation in the U.S. was most common on the frontier, which is where Elijah Craig set up shop.

Sometime after his death, Elijah Craig was given the title “The father of bourbon” for reasons unknown. However, it is unlikely that the whiskey distilled by Craig was particularly unique. At the time, there were hundreds of whiskey makers along the frontier. Some have claimed he was the first to use charred oak barrels, but there is little historical evidence to support that claim.

Elijah Craig: The Whiskey

Elijah Craig, the brand, was established in 1986 by Heaven Hill Distillery, nearly 200 years after Elijah Craig, the man, started distilling whiskey. The mash bill appears to be 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. The bottle does not carry an age statement, but it appears it is a blend of 8-year and 12-year whiskey. If you remember what I said about age statements in What is Whiskey?, a published age statement doesn’t automatically discern quality. The whiskey is aged in level 3 char barrels according to the Elijah Craig Small Batch website. The finished product is bottled at 94 proof, which gives it a little extra kick.

Tasting Notes

Elijah Craig Small Batch has a hint of sweetness and a strong oak finish. Alie noticed the sweetness and it reminded her of chewing on a stick of sugarcane. There is a burst of light sweetness followed by a slightly bitter wood finish. I noticed a powerful oak wood flavor and a hint of vanilla sweetness, but I wasn’t able to pick up much else, despite sipping on this bottle for several days while camping.

The whiskey is smooth going down, but it does leave a lingering and intense heat on the tongue that sits for a bit. It is not overpowering, but a nice pleasant warm feeling that helped block out the cold air of our early spring camp trip.

Our Ratings

Drinkability: 4.5

Intensity: 3.2

Personal Preference: 3

Availability: 5

Beginner Friendly: 3.5

Overall: 3.8

Final Thoughts

Elijah Craig Small Batch is a very affordable, quality whiskey. The oak wood flavor is reflective of its age — whiskey that sits in the barrel longer tends to absorb more of the wood flavor. The flavor of the Small Batch is not super complex, but the vanilla and wood are easy to pick out.

The overall lightness of the flavors makes this a good beginner/intermediate whiskey to try. I wouldn’t necessarily share this with a total newbie because the wood flavor might be a little overpowering. However, if you have a couple of bottles you like and want to foray into an older whiskey, this would be a great place to start.

This bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch was a great addition to our camp trip to finish out the evening by the fire. It would also be a great bottle to share at the end of the night with friends or to celebrate your “mission accomplished” for making it through a long day of work or a special event. Although it isn’t the most complex whiskey it is worthy of your hard-earned dollars given the pricepoint.

Despite overlooking this bottle for the past several years, we enjoyed it. It is deserving of a spot on your bar to share with friends.

Happy Exploring!