Although I have not really many bourbon drunk (including Jefferson, Makers Mark, 1776) but this one is incredibly intense in flavor. Even before passing the glass to the nose, you can smell the spicy vanilla. It smells sweet and spicy with slight hints of fruity, sweet curry sauce and very mild sweet mustard and ginger. The oak barrel encloses all. No hint of solvent perceptible. In the mouth, an explosion of aromas comes: in the foreground dark chocolate, vanilla cream and American white oak, followed by ginger sharpness, spices and sweet fruits. The finish is smooth, dry, semi-dry and long lasting. The oak barrel aroma remains long after the first sip. No burning. The Elijah Craig therefore is one of my absolute favorites among the whiskeys.
