Elijah Craig Unveils Toasted Rye Whiskey, Says It Will Be ‘Highly Allocated’

Elijah Craig Toasted Rye is the latest whiskey to come from Heaven Hill. (Photo: Elijah Craig)

On Wednesday, Elijah Craig announced the release of a new whiskey: Elijah Craig Toasted Rye.

Bottled at 94 proof, this whiskey is Elijah Craig’s standard straight rye whiskey (distilled from a mashbill of 51% rye, 35% corn and 14% malted barley) finished in a toasted new oak barrel. According to the brand, these toasted barrels were designed in partnership with independent Stave Company.

After toasting for nearly an hour, the barrels have a cap placed on them, which Elijah Craig says is used to “quickly ramp up the heat to an extremely high temperature.” According to the brand, this allows phenols to embed in the surface to the barrel, imbuing smoky flavors into the whiskey the barrels hold.

According to the Heaven Hill-owned brand, Elijah Craig became the first person to char oak barrels for the purpose of aging bourbon in them in 1789, leading to him being credited as the “Father of Bourbon.”

“From the moment our tasting panel tried Elijah Craig Toasted Rye through our ongoing innovation process, we knew this expression was going to be special,” Elijah Craig Group Product Director Max Stefka said in a news release. “The custom toasted barrel from our partners at Independent Stave Company takes an already world-class whiskey and adds in a dessert-like bouquet of flavors.”

Heaven Hill say this release will be “highly allocated” and release across the U.S. by late July with a suggested retail price of $54.99.

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