Elijah Craig 12 has been a favorite of mine for quite some time so it was extremely disappointing to hear that they are discontinuing the 12-year offering and replacing it with a No Age statement version.
The reasons given were that there has been an ever-increasing demand and they simply don't have enough 12-year-old bourbon to continue producing it to meet demand. So we will be getting a mixture of 8 and 12 year NAS bourbon. I haven't tried it yet and will reserve judgment until I do but I will be sure to bring you a review soon to see if there is a considerable difference.
Burnt sugar, caramel and dark fruits. Oak, pepper, baking spice, pecans, sandpaper. Rich profile.
Caramel with a chewy texture. Loads more of the dark fruits and oak with a hint of apple pie, some candyfloss and cinnamon rolls with frosting.
Lots of oak, more dark fruit caramel and a touch of licorice.
Really love this so many classic bourbon characteristics done so well with big flavors and complexity. It is one that you absolutely MUST leave open for a month or 2 at least to get the true flavor profile, if you try it straight after opening it can seem very disappointing.
Another great thing about this was it was such a good price point for a 12-year bourbon and a challenger along with Four Roses Single barrel and of course, Weller 12 for best pound for pound bourbon (the Weller 12 edges that one IMO but still).
I'm going to miss that 12 year age statement but am looking forward to trying the new version but what I will say is if you can still get hold of this, get as many bottles as you can as soon it will be gone for ever and you won't get the chance again.