~$35- Purchased at Riverside Wine & Spirits
Background
Elijah Craig Bourbon has been one of my mainstays for a long time, providing a balanced, fairly sweet, smooth whiskey that pairs well with pretty much any cigar. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they recently branched out and decided to make a Rye whiskey, as well, which should provide more spice to the proceedings.
While it shares a similar distillation process, of course, the mash bill is radically different. Elijah Craig Rye is 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% barley. Like Bourbon has to be 51% or more corn, a whiskey must be 51% or more rye to get the “Rye Whiskey” designation.
This Rye whiskey has already won multiple awards in the time it’s been available. I bought my bottle at Riverside Wine & Spirits in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Notes
The Elijah Craig Rye was a medium amber in the glass, which seems to me a shade lighter than the Bourbon, but it’s hard to know without putting them side-by-side. It almost has a touch more of a honey-tone to it. Whereas the bourbon always has a nice vanilla and honey note to it, the rye is more just a straight oak with just a hint of vanilla.
The first sip confirms that this is not your grandfather’s Elijah Craig. There was more of a neutral graininess, followed by baking spice, a touch of honey and vanilla, and a nice peppery spice at the end. At 94 proof (47% ABV), the alcohol content really isn’t high enough to get serious “alcohol vapor” spice, so this really is a rye spiciness. The finish was sweeter, leaving a lingering honey note on my lips and tongue.
Noting that this would be spicier than most bourbons, I paired this whiskey with an Oliva V, a fairly peppery cigar with a full body. The cigar opened up with notes of leather and earth, along with sweeter floral notes from the Jalapa tobacco in the mix. It matched up well with the more restrained sweetness of the Elijah Craig Rye.
I’m very much a “bourbon fan” and love the sweetness that the Elijah Craig Bourbon has…I’m less of a “rye fan” but I do still enjoy a good rye whiskey. Elijah Craig Rye is a really good rye, but I don’t see ever enjoying it as much as the namesake bourbon.
