Bargain Bourbon: Elijah Craig 12 Review
As the market for cocktails and spirits has grown at a rapid rate in recent years, the demand for bourbon has went up dramatically. The pinnacle of the bourbon market for has long been the Pappy Van Winkle franchise. In October, 65 cases of Pappy Van Winkle went missing from a warehouse in Kentucky. The estimated retail value was over $27,000, but the secondary market is red hot for rare bourbon. Pappy Van Winkle 23 year has been viewed as the holy grail of bourbon, but comes in at over $200 a bottle in stores, and is incredibly limited as demand for all things Van Winkle grows yearly.
As the Van Winkle bottles fly of the shelf in a days time in most locations, plenty of high quality bourbons sit on the shelf readily available and at a good price year round. When it comes to bourbon, there’s no need to settle only for the elite, as many bargains can be found. My personal go to staple for a sipping bourbon is just that, a true bargain.
Elijah Craig 12
Elijah Craig 12 year bourbon sells for anywhere between $24-$28 a bottle depending on the store and the market you buy it in. This is a true value for the age and the complexity of this bourbon. It lends itself incredibly well to sipping, displaying a rich caramel nose with a hint of spice.
Sipping: As you sip the bourbon, it goes down incredibly smoothly, it’s twelve years in the barrel rounding out the rough edges that are apparent in some other bargain priced bourbons.
Flavor: The depth of flavor is layered, sweet caramel, a touch of spice with the perfect level of burn to remind you what you’re drinking. It’s impressive to find an easy sipper at this price, and I can’t recommend this bourbon highly enough as a standard staple for any bar.
More bang for your buck: If you are willing to pay a little more, it’s worth considering the Four Roses Single Barrel, which offers a slightly richer flavor, but at this price, this bottle is a no-brainer.
Manhattan Variant
When you think of bourbon in a cocktail, the Manhattan is the classic drink to come to mind. I’ve recently been introduced to a variant on the Manhattan that is worth exploring. I learned of this variation on the Manhattan from cocktail expert, Dale DeGroff. His recipe calls for George Dickel Rye, but you can swap that out for Elijah Craig 12 for an interesting experience. Here is the recipe:
1½ oz. Elijah Craig 12
¾ oz. Sweet Dolin vermouth
½ oz. Dry Dolin vermouth
(bitters)
The presence of dry vermouth completely reimagines the drink. There is a dry finish in place of the traditional bourbon sweetness at the end, and the flavor of vermouth is much more at the forefront than usual, as this recipe call for a much higher ratio of vermouth to bourbon than the traditional Manhattan.
I highly recommend Dolin as far as vermouth goes, and the choice of bitters are at the cocktail makers discretion, as playing with your selection can completely change this drink. I typically make my own Manhattans with Angostura bitters.
Exploring Bourbon
While the world of bourbon expands, the demand for scarce bottles like the Pappy Van Winkle line will only continue to grow. While I will look for these elite bourbons for the special occasion, I am happy to know that great selections at affordable prices remain to be in stock year round, and I will continue to look in the direction of Elijah Craig for quality at an unbeatable price.
