Elijah Craig

Elijah Craig is a bourbon brand of Heaven Hill, the family-owned Kentucky producer based in Bardstown. The brand is named after Elijah Craig, a Baptist preacher in 18th century Kentucky who is often credited, more by legend than record, with charring barrels for whiskey. It was launched in 1986 as a 12 year old bourbon.

The whiskey is distilled by Heaven Hill, at its Bernheim distillery in Louisville since a fire destroyed the Bardstown distillery in 1996, and aged in Heaven Hill's Kentucky rickhouses. It uses Heaven Hill's traditional bourbon mash of corn with some rye and malted barley. The style is rich and oak-driven, with caramel, vanilla and baking spice.

The core bottle is Elijah Craig Small Batch, which dropped its 12 year age statement in 2016. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is bottled uncut and unfiltered in batches several times a year and is a favourite among bourbon fans. The Toasted Barrel Bourbon is finished in a second, toasted new oak barrel, and there is also a Straight Rye Whiskey.

Older Single Barrel bottlings, such as the 18 Year Old and 23 Year Old, appear in limited numbers. Retailers and clubs also pick their own casks through the Private Barrel programme, such as the Dutch Cask Selection 2025 in our catalogue.