Elmer T Lee and Elijah Craig 18 Reviews-Comparison

Today we review Elmer T Lee Single Barrel and Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel. As per usual, I had no idea what whiskeys were being tasting to avoid any pre-existing biases. In this case, it was a good thing as I am a big fan of Elmer T Lee and merely lukewarm on the EC 18.

Elijah Craig 18 & Elmer T Lee

Elmer T Lee Review

Spicy nose, a little vanilla, and a little oak though you have to dig for it. After sitting for a bit the nose reminded me a bit of a Fig Newton. The palate is dominated by spice, not overpowering but a nice, persistent spice. Fairly light in the mouth with a hint of wood and sugar as well. Letting it sit for a few minutes helps to bring out some of the citrus and sweet notes. The finish is relatively smooth as the spice remains from start-to-finish.

Elijah Craig 18 Review

Very distinct nose. Smells like a mix of leather, chocolate and oak. Very soft flavor with some spice on the first sip, though following sips reveal a bit of sweetness. Lingering chocolate and leather on the finish. This one varied a lot for me from first sip to last, kind of all over the place... though this may be more due to my palate than anything else.

The Winner - Elmer T Lee

Before I knew which was which I gave a slight nod to the Lee, though it wasn't the landslide I would have predicted had I known what I was tasting.

I've thought of the EC18 as much too smoky and leathery, but tasting it blind revealed a much softer, sweeter palate than I recalled. It still had an overpowering nose and finish for my tastes. However, I thought the same thing about the William Larue Weller the first time I tried it and now it is among my favorites.

The Elmer T. Lee had a little more spice than I typically associate with it, but as it uses the Buffalo Trace high-rye mashbill, this makes more sense in hindsight. Still a great bourbon based on its somewhat constant availability and reasonable price of under $35.

Follow this link to see my full Elmer T. Lee review

Bourbon Tasting 1A: Bourbon Challenge

I initially had another paragraph to start this post, but its long enough already.  I'll save those thoughts for another day. So let's skip the foreplay, and dive in to the blind tasting... With the help of my lovely assistant, we lined up 5 glasses to be sampled.  The bourbons in play were Elijah Craig 18-yr, Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout 19-yr, Four Roses Single Barrel, Parker's Heritage Cognac Finish, and Jefferson's Presidential 18-year.  These all check in between 90 and 100 proof, and 10-19 years old.  They also range in price from about $40-$90

Sample A

A very sweet and soft nose, with some sugar and a subtle note of wood.  The first sip is viscous with a lot of burnt sugar; right in line with the nose. The wood doesn't show up immediately but is lightly present at the finish. There was a little burn on the finish as well

Overall: A very strong start with a decent finish. While I wish the finish was more in line with the nose and palate, this is still a pretty drinkable whiskey in my book.

Sample B

This one began fairly quietly. Subtle nose, and palate on the first sip that didn't give much distinction. However, after a little time the nose revealed some complex sweet notes and a lot more depth emerged as a mix of sweet flavors showed their face. The finish on this one was fairly refined, allowing the pleasant taste to stick around.

Overall: This one needed some time to open up, but once it did it was well worth the wait. A very tasty pour that was rewarded with some patience. Perhaps the flavor would have been more present if not preceded by sample A.

Sample C

Wow, just... wow. All caramel and sugar and sweet and happiness on the nose.  The first sip did not disappoint either, like liquid candy coating my mouth.  This one had a great, lingering finish that keeps the flavor from the nose and palate.

Overall: Just an outstanding bourbon from start to finish.  My favorite of the tasting so far.

Sample D

Smoke, oak and leather jump out at the first sniff. There is a little sweetness on the palate, but it is tucked beneath the other flavors and doesn't stick around for long.  The finish is right in line with the nose as the leather flavor lingers

Overall: A little too much oak and leather for my tastes.  Not a bad bourbon by any means, but my least favorite to this point.

Sample E

Sweet nose with a slight bit of spice in the background. Some alcohol on the initial nose, but this disappeared after letting it sit for a minute or two. The first sip was light, sweet, and floral with a fairly thin mouth-feel compare to the others in this grouping. On the finish the floral notes are quickly replaced with some spice and a slight, but not unpleasant, burn on the way down.

Overall: The spiciest of the bourbons thus far, and a fairly pleasant sipper with a wide range of flavors from start to finish.

The Verdict:

There was a pretty clear winner and loser in this tasting.  The toughest part was ranking 2-4.

Winner: C

2nd: B

3rd: A

4th: E

5th: D

...and what exactly were the bourbons tied to these mystery letters (in order of finish)?

C - Jefferson's Presidential - 18yr; 94 proof - $90

B - Parker's Heritage Collection Cognac Finish; 100 proof - $80

A - Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout - 19yr; 100 proof - $75 

E - Four Roses Single Barrel; 100 proof - $40

D - Elijah Craig - 18yr; 90 proof - $50

The bourbon contestants, in order of finish

So there you have it, a no-holds barred battle royale between some high-end, and very distinguished whiskeys. The absolutely delicious Jefferson's 18 stood out in this one and the PH Cognac surprised me with it's depth. The Very Old Scout comes in a few different age statements, so I'd be curious to see if any of the younger versions offer anything differently or are right in line with this expression. Though the EC 18 was my least favorite in the bunch I've seen a lot of people who love that flavor profile, so just because it came in 5th here doesn't make it bad by any means.  As for the FRSB, it has long been a favorite of mine and is likely the best value out of this group as the distance between 2nd and 4th place was minimal.

-b

Dipping my toes in...

Another whiskey blog?!?

I know, I know... there are already a ton of blogs out there and many of them do a phenomenal job.  My goal is not to compete with them, but merely to offer another perspective.  I'm planning to do a lot of blind reviews with a few participants, along with some stand-alone reviews.  The primary focus will be on bourbon & rye, with an occasional look at scotches.

Hopefully some people will find value and/or entertainment from these posts, but at the very least this could be a cathartic exercise.  I don't claim to be an expert on whiskey, merely an enthusiast with a thirst for knowledge and of course, the juice itself.

-b