Elijah Craig 1789 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Elijah Craig · Heaven Hill Distillery
Heaven Hill's flagship small batch remains a benchmark for what well-made bourbon at an accessible price should taste like. It delivers complexity beyond its price point, with barrel char and grain in honest balance. A bottle that earns its shelf space through consistency rather than hype.
Nose
Pronounced caramel and charred oak greet you immediately, followed by dried orange peel and a dusting of brown spices. Underneath, there's a soft cornbread sweetness that anchors the darker notes.
Palate
The entry is buttery and warm, with vanilla custard giving way to toasted pecan and a streak of dark cocoa. Mid-palate spice builds steadily — cinnamon bark and clove — without ever overwhelming the grain sweetness.
Finish
Medium-long with lingering charred oak and a whisper of maple syrup. Clean and warming.
- Mash Bill
- Corn, rye, malted barley (undisclosed proportions)
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak (Level 3 char)
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Weathervane Old Fashioned — 2 oz Elijah Craig 1789 · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over ice, strain into rocks glass with large cube, express orange peel.
Food Pairing
Smoked pork shoulder with a brown sugar glaze
Distilled at Heaven Hill's Bernheim facility in Louisville and aged in the rickhouses of Bardstown, where Kentucky's punishing temperature swings drive the bourbon deep into new American oak and back again.
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