Veteran Rye Review: Elijah Craig Straight Rye

“Purchase Elijah Craig Straight Rye at Caskers Here!”

Official Product Website

History – ”The Father of Bourbon”- Reverend Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher, an educator, and an entrepreneur who built the first paper and wool mills in Georgetown, Kentucky. But for all his industries, it was his gift as a distiller and an innovator that brought him his greatest acclaim.

While we draw inspiration from parts of Elijah Craig’s story, his legacy will forever be stained by his connection to slavery. Like other Kentucky landowners of his generation, Elijah Craig owned slaves. Uncovering the roles of these laborers, how they contributed to the birth of the Bourbon industry and what happened to them and their families is a critical mission of our brand today. Elijah Craig is actively engaged in academic research and other initiatives to not just uncover the past, but to make America today a more just and equitable country.

In 1789, Elijah Craig became the first distiller to age his whiskey in new charred oak barrels. Some claim that an accidental fire charred his barrels and changed the whiskey inside. Others say he stored his whiskey in former sugar barrels and was impressed with how charing improved the flavor.
However it happened, Elijah Craig knew he had discovered something great. He continued to refine the barrel charring process, imparting smooth, rich flavor to the spirit that would become known as Bourbon. 250 years later, he is still known as the Father of Bourbon—and we craft our Bourbon today using the same time-honored methods.- elijahcraig.com

Value – For $35 and a rye that tastes this good I feel that this price is great. A fair value in my book.

Appearance – Copper. The bottle is beautiful and really stands out amongst the crowd showing that “This is an Elijah Craig bottle”. It has an engraved wooden top that is great for collecting.

Nose – Floral/Botanical with summer peach, hint of port wine, mint and has a slight oak pull to this as well. It definitely surprises me that the nose here is so fruit forward as I am so used to the full oak that Elijah Craig pushes in their small batch bourbon.

Palate – Smooth, light, full bodied loaded with rye, mint again and pepper.

Finish – Light caramel, lingering around the entire mouth for 10 seconds leaving a thick layer coating your tongue and the ever so relaxing light burn fading away.There is some cherry on the end which is normally found in very thick full bodied bourbons and not rye. This rye is only 51% which is likely the reason for this as it is very comparable to a bourbon rather than a rye.

Summary – Overall, this rye is great and really holds true to sustaining great flavor profiles in their offerings. The finish is really what excites me about this purchase and the long history that follows it. To learn more about Elijah Craig visit this link to our article going in depth on the founding and history of this brand.

Uniqueness – 1-10 – 5

Appearance – 1-10 – 10

Nose – 1-20 – 15

Palate – 1-20 – 15

Finish – 1-20 – 20

Value – 1-20 – 18