Elijah Craig Private Barrel 8 Year Old Single Barrel Select Bourbon Brothers Australia Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

The standard release Elijah Craig Small Batch is always a solid pour and well-priced. Single barrel picks, ranging in age from 8 to 12 years old can be quite different from one to the next, one leaning more into oak and another into caramel and spice. They also tend to evolve in the bottle after opening, sometimes even radically, but always maintaining a dependable trifecta of oak, caramel and baking spices. This 8 year old was drawn from barrel #6670891, Rickhouse P, Floor 3. Our tasting revealed resin, low key vanillas, oak shavings, glace cherries and peachy fruitiness on the nose, with a medium-bodied cinnamon and pepper laced palate that suggests fresh oak and roasted nuts, richening up with hints of cocoa, caramel and vanilla malt through the finish. It tastes its age, and at 47% is supple enough to enjoy straight or just over ice. The outturn isn't stated, but we expect less than a couple of hundred have been bought into Australia. Our thanks to Heaven Hill and the Bourbon Brothers for sharing these beauties. 47% Alc./Vol.

Notes from the importers... Nose: Toasted almond, graham flower, hazelnut, pine sap, fresh green apple, pomelo, honeycomb, red cherry, oregano, char. Palate: Maple syrup, marshmallow, whipped cream, toasted oak, pumpkin pie, vanilla, clove, pecans. Finish: Long finish with notes of pink peppercorn and toasted honey cashews.