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Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill
47%
NAS
A new novelty - Toasted Releases are becoming more commonplace across portfolios. Rich and complex on the nose, but a bit disappointing on the palate, this symphony of oak, toffee, almond and cocoa plays an enticing tune, though with a mistuned instrument here and there. Great for fans of oak, a bottling worthy of pause if you don't.
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A new novelty - Toasted Releases are becoming more commonplace across portfolios. Rich and complex on the nose, but a bit disappointing on the palate, this symphony of oak, toffee, almond and cocoa plays an enticing tune, though with a mistuned instrument here and there. Great for fans of oak, a bottling worthy of pause if you don't.
Elijah Craig Toasted barrel is a new entry in Heaven Hill's catalogue, bringing them to parity with other brands like Michter's and Old Forester who also supply toasted releases. After primary maturation, the Elijah Craig bourbon is further matured in a barrel that has been toasted, rather than charred. This is bottled at Elijah Craig's standard 47% ABV and I've been working through this bottle for a month or two now. Let's get to it.
Fudge, toffee, confectioners sugar and almond. Quite a bit of honey, some sweet berry, and hefty oak. A bit more complex than I appraised at first, the berry notes and the honey presence is a bit more forward than on first opening where oak dominated a bit more.
Thin to medium mouth feel. Heavy on the cocoa, plenty of oak, some toffee. A buttery sweetness. Overall, the palate leans heavy on the oak, though without a funky splenda note I get in other toasted releases. A bit muted, though not hot.
Medium finish, oaky and dry. There's a bit of heat here. Plenty of wood character, cocoa, and some toffee.
Overall, this is V1 of a new product. I think it's a good start, but there's work to do. The nose is really very nice. The palate feels a bit thin - surprising given how much oak emanates in each step of the tasting. This is better than Michter's efforts in my opinion, which gives me hope. I bet if Heaven Hill can dial this in a bit, they'll have a rockstar in their pocket, though there's work to do before they get there. It's a release to keep your eye on. I'm looking forward to comparing this release to future batches in an effort to hopefully see some big improvement.
5