“Twice barreled for added complexity, Toasted Barrel takes our award-winning Small Batch Bourbon to new heights. After it’s fully matured, we finish this Bourbon in a second, custom toasted new oak barrel, where it’s left to develop even more sweet oak flavor.
Toasted Barrel relies on a custom finishing process that adds an extra layer of sweet oak complexity to our Bourbon. Learn more about how these second barrels are treated.” – ElijA Craig
Bottle age (since opening): Newly opened.
Appearance: Very dark, blood orange. Looks amazing and very inviting. Good beading in the glass clings well.
Nose: An immediate hit of mixed aromas, including black pepper, floral notes, caramel/vanilla and oak.
A good rich thick nose, quite luxurious. Confectionary sugars appear after acclimatising, some foam banana and a fair bit of nuttiness. There are also dark fruits.
Lingering aromas are reminiscent of the whiskey BBQ wood chips. So much going on!
Palate: ‘Quite’ oily. More savoury on the palate than I expected. Quite spicy with black peppercorn. After a few sips, butter appears and more sweeter notes, including brown sugar and vanilla. Copper/metallic at the back of the tongue.
The more you drink, the more creamy with dark sugars it gets. Underlying oakiness runs the duration of the dining experience, defining the ‘toasted barrel’ label I think.
Finish: Buttery finish, dark fruits and spices linger for a ‘medium’ amount of time.
Overall: I really like the standard EC and this is a new take on an already great whiskey. It’s pleasingly complex and drinks like a premium spirit.
