obtained via bottle swap with Bobby ChildsContinuing my taste through some sample bottles, the result of a swap between me and Bobby Childs of Adventures in Whiskey. I've been eager to try Elijah Craig 18 for a while now. The standard Elijah Craig is one of the best value bourbons on the market, although to be fair I haven't tasted any since they dropped the 12-year age statement.
Color: medium brown, slight orange tint.
Smell: I'm struggling to pick up very much on the nose - it's faint. Slight brown sugar and caramel sweetness, something dusty, and definitely some woodiness. Maybe a hint of cherries in there as well. Nothing objectionable, but also nothing that really grabs me.
Taste: bitter and woody from the start. It feels like my tongue is being stabbed by burnt toothpicks. A slight cherry sweetness and burned caramel are faintly noticeable during the midpalate, but they quickly cede to the massive barrel influence. The balance just isn't there.
Overall: blurg...not my favorite. Very interesting to try, but this stayed in barrels too long. Too bitter and woody to really enjoy. I think this probably hit a great sweet spot 4-10 years before it was bottled. "C" for me.
