Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Finished Bourbon -European Oak Ryder Cup 2023 Edition Review

Rising from the ashes of Prohibition and into the midst of the Great Depression in Bardstown, KY, Heaven Hill Distillery has grown to be the largest independent family-owned and operated producer of distilled spirits products in the US, and the second-largest holder of bourbon whiskey inventory in the world. The distillery was set up in 1935 after a small group approached the Shapira family seeking capital investment to set up a distillery using their technical expertise. Following personal financial difficulties among the other members of the founding group, their interests in the “Old Heavenhill Springs” distillery were bought out by the Shapira family making the distillery a fully family-owned enterprise. With renewed purpose, the family kept on one of the original investors, James L. Beam as Master Distiller, and hired the best bourbon-producing talent they could find in their local Bardstown. Four years later in 1939, they released their first product, a 4-year-old Bottled in Bond bourbon under the Old Heaven Hill brand. The brand quickly became one of the top-selling bourbons in the State and cemented the distillery’s position as one of the top bourbon producers in Kentucky at the time. The name of the distillery originates from the family name of William Heavenhill who was an early pioneer farmer and owned the original property on which the distillery sat. When originally registering the company a clerical mistake resulted in the name becoming Heaven Hill as opposed to Heavenhill.

On November 7th 1996 a fire that started in one of the barrel ageing warehouses spread by strong winds, destroying almost the entire distillery and numerous ageing warehouses. Overall 90,000 barrels of whisky were lost and for the next 3 years, the company was dependent on production capacity in neighbouring distilleries. In 1999 Heaven Hill completed the purchase of the Old Bernheim Distillery from Diageo in Louisville and once the distillery was adapted, the production and distillation end moved to Louisville whilst ageing, bottling, and shipping still occur on the original Bardstown site.

Today the modern iteration of the company, Heaven Hill Brands, has become a diversified supplier of whiskeys, liqueurs, vodkas, rums, and other spirits. They own 62 rickhouses in Central KY and distribute hundreds of brands. Under the Heaven Hill Distillery portfolio, they produce award-winning products such as Henry McKenna, Elijah Craig, Evan William, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, and Rittenhouse rye to name a few. The distillery also has the largest number of Bottled in Bond whiskies on the market and is the only heritage distiller that features every major category of American whiskey in their 5 distinct mashbills producing traditional bourbon, wheated bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey, and wheat whiskey. Under 7th Master Distiller (and fellow countryman) Conor O’Driscoll the distillery is on course to fill almost 400,000 barrels again this year and with continued investment production capacity is growing every year to meet rising demand.

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Named in honour of a Baptist preacher, the Elijah Craig family of whiskies have been a staple in drinks cabinets for almost 40 years. Boasting many sought-after releases since the brand’s inception, the current family of offerings consists of a Small Batch bourbon and Rye, a Barrel-Proof Bourbon offering, an 18 y.o. offering, a 23 y.o. offering, a ‘Private Barrel bourbon offering for retialers and groups, and a distillery-only Barrel Select offering. Previous bottlings under this brand have also included the popular 12 y.o. age-stated Small Batch, 12 y.o. age-stated Barrel Proof, and 20, 21, and 22 y.o. offerings that have since been discontinued. Despite the Small Batch losing its age statement in 2016, due to demand outstripping supply, the barrel-proof offering still retains an age statement, as do the older releases such as the 18 and 23 y.o

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Announced in early August, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Finished in European Oak Barrels is the newest limited-edition iteration of their wildly popular finished bourbon. Starting as fully mature Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon the whiskey for this release was then finished in new European Oak Barrels which had been toasted to a profile inspired by those used in the Lazio wine growing region. This specific region and oak species were chosen to commemorate the 2023 Ryder Cup which is being held in nearby Rome, Italy this year and to further celebrate Elijah Craig’s multi-year partnership which makes the bourbon the “Official Bourbon” and Worldwide Supplier to the biennial competition.

According to the brand, a key benefit of using European Oak for this particular release is “its ability to integrate flavors subtly and softly, effortlessly balances the sweetness and spiciness of the Lazio-inspired toast profile and the elevated bright fruit character from the fully matured Elijah Craig.”

Speaking on this release, Max Stefka, the Group Product Director for Elijah Craig Bourbon is quoted as saying, “We are thrilled to raise a glass to the 2023 Ryder Cup with this new limited-edition release of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel. The unique marriage of toasted European Oak and our extra-aged Kentucky Bourbon offers a taste experience fit for one of the world’s greatest sporting events.”

Guy Kinnings, Ryder Cup Director, added: “Elijah Craig’s award-winning Bourbon is going to further elevate the spectator experience in Rome, and their new limited-edition bottle will both taste incredible and become a sought-after souvenir commemorating the greatest team contest in golf.”

Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America, also said “The PGA of America is ecstatic to have Elijah Craig as part of the 2023 Ryder Cup experience in Rome. This extraordinary limited-edition release of the Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is the perfect way to celebrate the world’s premier golf competition.”

Vital Stats:

Name: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Ryder Cup Limited Edition
Age: NAS
Proof:  124.2 Proof (62.8% ABV)
Type: Kentucky straight bourbon finished in toasted European Oak barrels.
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Producer: Heaven Hill Distillery, KY
Website:  https://elijahcraig.com/barrel-proof
Glassware: Glencairn

Review

Nose: The nose opens with a rich blend of warm toasted oak, sweet caramels, prominent soft red fruit notes, dark charred oak, and subtle white pepper. As you nose deeper the oak notes gain complexity, growing to include a herbaceous charred note that adds additional intricacy to the toasted oak character. 

Palate: The palate opens with sweet dark caramels, deep fruit notes and warm toasted oak notes fading to a peppery rye spice. As the spice fades charred herbaceous oak notes emerge alongside toasted almonds, lingering fruits and rich toasted oak notes.

Finish: The finish opens with lingering toasted oak and rye spices, dry toasted tannins, a touch of dried spiced fruits and herbaceous char, leading into a warm aftertaste of toasted charred oak, caramel, fruits, faint toasted almonds, and herbaceous oak.

Overall

This whiskey is deliciously complex, robust, and marries tradition with innovation as it introduces a fascinating twist to the well-known Elijah Craig bourbon profile. By using toasted European oak, with its greater concentrations of oak tannins, Heaven Hill has cleverly met both its goal of paying tribute to the Ryder Cup’s European venue this year, whilst also imparting an additional layer of spice, earthiness, and sweetness above what they’ve previously achieved with the toasted US oak releases.

The addition of these more potent toasted oak flavours not only elevates this whiskey to new heights of complexity, but they also integrate remarkably well into the overall bourbon profile, maintaining a lavish viscosity and creating a delightfully balanced interplay of flavours that ensures an easy-drinking experience without overwhelming the palate with spice. In fact, throughout my tastings, the dominant presence of warm toasted oak spice instead acted as a unifying thread, guiding the palate through a symphony of deep caramels, rich stewed fruits, warm tannins, peppery spice, and herbaceous charred oak notes. It’s also worth pointing out that the added oak spice introduces a good amount of heat despite its unassuming 92 proof, delivering a potent experience for those who appreciate bold and spirited bourbon.

In comparison to the standard Small Batch offering, this expression stands out thanks to its complex toasted oak flavours and herbaceous notes. Not only do these improve the baseline profile, but combined they introduce a spicier character, providing a unique and captivating experience beyond the chocolate milk and rye spice profile I’d usually associate with Elijah Craig. Compared to the US Toasted Oak release, the stand-out difference again was that it had a strong chocolate-toasted oak-forward profile with a similar kick of oak spices but less of those warm toasted tannin notes. The unique packaging featuring a neck label with the Ryder Cup trophy on it and a gold coin on the cork featuring the Ryder Cup logo also make it a cool souvenir for fans of the competition or sport and further sets this release apart from anything we’ve seen from Elijah Craig in the past.

In a world where the bourbon market is awash with hit-or-miss toasted oak finishes it’s easy to understand why people may be skeptical of whether this release truly is something special, or just a gimmick release to mark the brand’s partnership with the Ryder Cup. I am happy to report, however, that from my tastings of this bourbon, Heaven Hill has not compromised in the slightest on the quality of the finished whiskey. Instead, they’ve created a unique Limited Edition release that maintains the quality standards fans would expect from the brand, whilst also celebrating and commemorating a unique opportunity for the brand to be enjoyed by golf fans, bourbon drinkers, and Elijah Craig purists alike. I for one am very excited to see what this partnership will bring in the future for the brand because, personally, I’m here for the whiskey and so far I have been very impressed.

Try or Buy?

With an MSRP of $99.99 if you see it for this price, buy it.