Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Rye Whiskey Review

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On August 28, 2024, you’ll be able to see 6 of the planets align in the night sky. Moments like these are somewhat rare to witness. In a way, Heaven Hill’s product development team is also attempting an alignment of their own with their Elijah Craig label.

It was only 12 years ago that the only type of Elijah Craig you could find was a small batch version bottled at 94 proof. Fast forward to the present day and we have Elijah Craig bourbon in a Small Batch, Barrel Proof, Single Barrel, Single Barrel Barrel Proof, Toasted Barrel and – soon – a Toasted Barrel Barrel Proof Single Barrel. That’s like its own 6-planet alignment!

I foresee the same lineup eventually happening with the Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey. Heaven Hill gave us the rye whiskey version back in 2020 to mild fanfare. Now we’re witnessing the first label extension of the rye series with Toasted Barrel Rye. I’m sure that we’re going to see everything from a barrel proof version to single barrel toasted barrel versions in the years to come. I’d be more surprised if they just stopped at the toasted barrel rye.

What is Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Rye Whiskey?

Heaven Hill produces basically one mash bill for all of their rye whiskies. I say “basically” because they do have a new rye whiskey recipe they’ve just introduced in their “Grain to Glass” series. But if we don’t count that, then the main one you’ve been drinking all along – whether it’s been in Rittenhouse, Pikesville or even Parker’s 10 Year Rye – has contained 51% rye, 35% corn and 14% malted barley.

The difference between the different rye whiskey labels has to do with proof, age and – most importantly – the profile of the barrel once it’s done maturing. Heaven Hill has generally assigned its sweeter, more oaky rye whiskey barrels into the Elijah Craig program whereas the more peppery barrels go into Rittenhouse and the fruit-forward ones go into Pikesville.

Heaven Hill has given us no age statement for Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s younger than the Small Batch Bourbon (which uses barrels anywhere from 8 to 12 years old). Having drank regular Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey, I’d say the age averages around 6 years old.

The secret to Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Rye Whiskey rests in its secondary barrel finish. Heaven Hill takes the same toasted barrels sourced from Independent Stave Company (with staves that are seasoned for 18 months) and gives them a toasting treatment. No char treatment is used on these barrels. From there, the rye whiskey is dumped into them and finished for 3 to 6 weeks (depending on the season). Then they’re dumped, batched and bottled up.

An interesting factoid I learned at a recent Heaven Hill tasting is that the toasted barrels eventually make their way to the Brugal Rum Distillery in the Dominican Republic. So if you’re a fan of their rum and can pick up on some Elijah Craig notes, that’s where it’s coming from.

So how does this rye whiskey taste? Let’s find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: My nose finds scents of peppermint, honey and floral notes right away. There is an earthy undertone coupled to a dark chocolate aroma. I do find some wet cardboard notes which point to the rye whiskies age, but they don’t ruin the nose. Fruit scents kind of help save it by introducing apricot jam and mandarin oranges. Everything else is wrapped up nicely with some vanilla and honey.

Palate: The opening sips showcase floral notes that join together with honey and candy canes. I’m finding much more vanilla and oak/wood influence than I was on the nose. This is what I would have expected immediately on any toasted barrel finish. Fruits are courtesy of cherries, apricots and lemondrops. Spice notes come by way of peppery pops and cinnamon. The heat is very mild and the mouthfeel feels thicker than normal. All of the flavors are very well sorted out, but I must comment that this still has a slightly youthful character about it.

Finish: Lingering notes of peppery spice, wintergreen mint and more candy cane hang around for a while. Lighter notes like vanilla, lemons and orange citrus zest are nice to find hanging around at this stage of the game. There are some dry notes like cinnamon stick and a little bit of oak, but mostly they’re held in check by the sweet flavors that are also reduced by about half.

Score: 6.5/10

This was an enjoyable rye whiskey that does a lot of things right. The toasted barrel treatment wasn’t so heavy-handed that it drowned out the rye character within. Instead, it added just enough extra vanilla and wood barrel notes to be perceptible.

I like this bottle and think it’s a very good neat sipper. However, if you put it into a cocktail, I think most of the toasted barrel notes would be lost which begs the question: do you need to spend the extra money getting the toasted barrel rye if you’re just going to put into a cocktail? I’d argue no.

Final Thoughts

Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey was introduced at the incredibly reasonable price of $30. It was so inexpensive, that a lot of people didn’t even think twice about buying a bottle for themselves. But apparently Heaven Hill thinks that the secondary toasted barrel makes this a rye whiskey that is worth twice the cost. I think that this price is going to backfire.

I saw a few full cases sitting at Evergreen’s in Louisville that looked like they hadn’t been touched. I’m unable to see their sales numbers at that store, but I know that the pricetag certainly stopped me from immediately pulling the trigger. Instead, I opted to have a pour at their bar and decided I don’t really need to own a bottle at that price. There are plenty of toasted barrel rye whiskies on the market today and I guarantee there are some that are a better value. I might recommend enthusiasts buy this bottle if it were only $45, but as it stands, I would encourage you to pass on this if you see one in the wild.