Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher in the 18th century and is credited for making this wonderful bourbon. This small batch, 12 year old bourbon is a product of Heaven Hill Distillery (located in Bardstown, Kentucky), and is their flagship product. Bottled at 94 proof, this bourbon is well balanced and makes for a great daily sipper. Color: Citrus Gold Nose: A very well balanced nose.floral, honey, vanilla bean, caramel, nuts, dark fruits, and toasted oak. Taste: Salted caramel, vanilla, candied fruits, rye spice, toasted oak. Finish: Medium in length. Notes of salted caramel, rye spice and toasted oak linger. Conclusion: There is a lot of depth to be found in Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon. The age really expresses itself as there is heavy oak presence throughout the nose, taste, and finish. The flavors compliment each other well and the 94 proof makes for a nice, warming finish. At $20-30 it's a great bang for the buck! My Rating: B+ (Very Good)
Wild Turkey Forgiven is a blend of six year old bourbon [78%] and high proof, four year old rye [22%]. The back story behind this product is that the Wild Turkey Distillery staff accidentally mixed the two whiskies. When Master Distiller Eddie Russell tasted it, he deemed it "exceptional whiskey more than worth of bringing to the market", and thus "Forgiven" was born. It is bottled at 91 proof. Color: Amber Nose: Vanilla, Ginger, Cinnamon, Rye Spice, Oak Taste: Creamy Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Ginger, Spearmint, Clove, Oak Finish: Short and Smooth. Brown sugar, oak, peppery. Conclusion: Personally, it matters not whether this is a true story or just a creative idea from their marketing team; I like the story and I like the whiskey. It is a limited edition offering (unless the distillery crew happens to make another mistake), so I suggest you pick it up if you can find it. My Rating: B (Good) Video Review:
Founded in 1997, Jefferson's is a bit of a newer company. Trey Zoeller is the "Master Blender" (not Master Distiller) as Jefferson's sources their juice rather than distill it themselves. They have a variety of products and are doing some very innovative things. This bottle is No. 1952 of 2400. Batch No. 115. Proof is 90.2%. Color: Light Gold Nose: Floral, Butterscotch, Creamy Vanilla, Raisins. Taste: Very smooth. Brown Sugar, Tobacco, Rye spice, Oak. Finish: Short and crisp. Tobacco and Oak lingers. Conclusion: Very smooth and easy to drink however the flavor profile is quite subtle. While I recommend you give this try at a bar or pick it up on sale, at $50-60, this is not something that I would keep stocked at the home bar. My Rating: B (Good)
Booker's Small Batch Bourbon is an uncut and unfiltered barrel proof product from Booker Noe, who was Jim Beans grandson and also master distiller for Beam for 40+ years (starting in 1960 and until his death in 2004). Booker was a virtuoso for his ability to judge a bourbon's quality. He would select barrels of especially high quality (usually stored in the coveted center rows of the warehouse) and keep them for special occasions. As gifts of these private samples were met with increasingly positive response, he started bottling and selling it in limited quantities in 1988. It has become one of Jim Beam's flagship products. The label on the front of the bottle reads: "The whiskey in this package is the highest grade bourbon made by me here at Jim Beam. It is uncut and bottled straight from the barrel. My grandfather Jim Beam liked his whiskey from six to eight years old" This bottle of Booker's Small Batch Bourbon is bottled at 128.5 proof and is 6 years and 2 months old (Batch C06-K-8). Purchased for $49.99. Color: A nice mix of honey and gold. Nose: Sweet, molasses, brown sugar, floral, subtle fruit, intense vanilla, oak, pipe tobacco, charcoal. Taste: Bold flavors here. Maple and salted caramel notes that quickly give way to a crescendo of black pepper, tobacco and oak. Finish: Long and bold. Leather and black pepper. Conclusion: We should never take for granted the years of history and expertise that it takes to produce a high quality bourbon. This is a very good product; hats off to Booker Noe for sharing it with the world. My Rating: B+ (Very Good) Video Review:
Over the course of my bourbon journey I have learned some important bits of information. One of them being: if it says Stagg on the bottle, you probably should buy it. This uncut, unfiltered bourbon is aged for "nearly a decade" (no actual age statement on label), and is quite the heavyweight, being bottled at 134.4 proof. It shares the same mash bill as its older brother, George T Stagg. Color: Very dark caramel, it is 67.20% ABV after all. Nose: A really fantastic nose. Nut toffee, black cherries, snickerdoodle, cinnamon. Spice. Taste:This is intense. Initial sweetness that is quickly greeted by the heat from the high ABV. Dark chocolate covered cherries, toasted graham crackers. Spicy with notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and tobacco. Finish: Cigars, spice, and oak bitterness linger for a long, warming finish. Conclusion: Let's start with the facts: This is an uncut, unfiltered bourbon at a high ABV, and it's only $49.99. Yes, its the best of both worlds; this is no consolation prize. The nose is one of my favorites. For most people, 67.20% alcohol may be hard to handle without adding water, but if you're like us and enjoy the bold characteristics that come with high ABV, then you will love Stagg Jr. My Rating: A (Great)
Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher in the 18th century and is credited for making this wonderful bourbon. This small batch, 12 year old bourbon is a product of Heaven Hill Distillery (located in Bardstown, Kentucky), and is their flagship product. Bottled at 94 proof, this bourbon is well balanced and makes for a great daily sipper. 
