Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon – 70cl

Elijah Craig Small Batch is named after the Baptist preacher often credited — rightly or not — with being the first to age bourbon in charred oak barrels. Myth aside, it's one of the great value bourbons: a small-batch Kentucky straight from Heaven Hill, bottled at a proper 47%.

Each batch is married from a limited number of barrels, aged in heavily charred new oak in Heaven Hill's Bardstown rickhouses. That higher strength and the deep char give it noticeably more depth than the everyday competition.

The nose is rich — vanilla, caramel and toffee, with toasted oak and a hint of woodsmoke. The palate is full and warming: brown sugar, baking spice, more char and a nutty sweetness. At 47% there's plenty of body; a splash of water opens up the vanilla. The finish is long, oaky and gently smoky.

Punches well above its price, and a brilliant Old Fashioned bourbon.

How to Serve

Neat in a tulip glass, or with a drop of water. It makes a first-rate Old Fashioned thanks to that 47% strength.

Where to Drink It

Black Rock in Shoreditch for the whisky range. The American Bar at The Savoy. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood.

Food Pairings

Built for smoke and char. Smoky barbecue is the natural home, and it makes a fine partner for a wedge of mature cheddar or a good cigar at the end of the night.