Elijah Craig | How its made

THE ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS OF
ELIJAH CRAIG

All Bourbons are crafted from four
essential
elements: Grain, Water, Fire &
Time. But it
takes expertise and ingenuity
to transform
them into unique and
award-winning
whiskeys.

Our Master Distillers add “The Human
Element.” In their hands, every expression
of Elijah Craig is truly greater than the
sum of its parts.

GRAIN

We use malted barley, rye, and local corn
in all
of our signature recipes, or “mashbills.”
All
straight Bourbons begin with a mashbill
that
is at least 51% corn; but by giving that
edge to
rye grains, our Master Distillers have
created
the first Elijah Craig Straight
Rye Whiskey.

Learn how we balance the sweetness
of corn with the spiciness of rye.

Discover STRAIGHT RYE

Water

Adding Kentucky limestone water to our
mashbill is key to the fermentation
process;
but evaporation is equally
important to the
aging process. How
much water escapes
from a barrel affects
the proof of the
Bourbon inside. Taking it
uncut from the
barrel, like our Master
Distillers do with
Barrel Proof, preserves
all the natural
flavors of the aging process.

Explore the variances in proof from
batch to batch.

Discover Barrel Proof

FIRE

Our new oak barrels are fired for 40
seconds
to achieve a Level 3 char: creating
rich,
aromatic layers that give our Small
Batch its
signature warm spice & subtle
smoke flavor.
But charring isn’t the only
way we treat our
barrels. Left to toast over
an open flame for a
precise amount of
time, they can add even
more sweet oak
complexity to our Bourbon.

Watch how our custom finishing
process
transforms our Bourbon.

Discover toasted barrel

TIME

Most Bourbons are aged for 4 to 6 years;
but a rare few are allowed to stand the test
of time. Left to weather the Kentucky
elements year over year, the Bourbon in
these barrels develops a deep, rich flavor.
Our Master Distillers are willing to wait a
long time to bring you the contents of a
single, expertly chosen barrel.

See how patience and perseverance
create
a Bourbon of exceptional quality.

Discover 18-year-old