Heaven Hill Distillery, one of the nation’s foremost American whiskey producers now celebrating 81 years and three generations of family ownership, today announces a major redesign of its flagship Elijah Craig Small Batch packaging. It includes a contemporary, yet traditional new look for its iconic bottle to better mirror the premium nature of the award-winning spirit within and celebrate the company’s unwavering commitment to its availability for years to come.
“At a time when the demand for Bourbon is at record levels, we are renewing our commitment to crafting Elijah Craig Small Batch so we can have it more available for the market, rather than on allocation, inaccessibly priced or simply out of stock,” says Max L. Shapira, President, Heaven Hill Distillery, and second-generation family member. “Our new bottle design celebrates Elijah Craig Small Batch’s promise of being a premium Bourbon of the highest quality in our industry.”
Elijah Craig Small Batch is made exclusively from batches of 200 barrels or less of 8-year-old to 12-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, with a large percent from the older barrels. Now available nationwide, its mashbill, proprietary yeast, proof, and aging regimen remain the same.
The newly designed bottle is taller and has cleaner lines that better appeal to today’s discerning Bourbon drinker. Using a custom-designed mold, 1789, the year the Rev. Elijah Craig founded his distillery, is embossed on the glass. Craig is credited as “The Father of Bourbon,” who pioneered aging his Kentucky whiskey in charred oak barrels that created the spirit’s signature amber color and smooth flavor.
In addition, the brand name and Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey directly decorate the bottle to better showcase the beauty of the spirit. A small textured paper label on the bottom of the bottle’s front includes Elijah Craig’s signature, as well as product information. Crowning the bottle, its cork closure is made of wood that is stained dark brown.
“We are confident that through our stringent barrel selection process we will maintain the desired taste profile and quality that have made Elijah Craig Small Batch one of the most critically acclaimed Bourbons in the world,” says Co-Master Distiller Denny Potter. “We can do this because barrels, no matter their age, mature at different rates that depend on their location in our natural open rick warehouses. We choose only those barrels that meet our exacting standards for complexity. They are the cream of the crop that annually account for about one-half of one percent of all of our aging stocks.”
Elijah Craig Small Batch immediately catches the eye with its luxurious burnished copper colored liquid. On the nose, it is delightfully complex, with notes of vanilla bean, sweet fruit and fresh mint. On the palate, it is smooth, warm and pleasantly woody with accents of spice, smoke and nutmeg. Its finish is long, sweet and slightly toasty. With its complex taste, Elijah Craig Small Batch is enjoyed neat or on the rocks and shines in classic cocktails like the Gold Rush, Old-Fashioned and Manhattan.
The new packaging celebrates this iconic spirit that helped rekindle the Bourbon renaissance by pioneering the small batch concept back in 1986, before this term existed. It reflects Heaven Hill’s unwavering commitment to Bourbon, boasting the second-largest inventory of aging Kentucky whiskey—1.2 million barrels, over 21 percent of the world’s future supply. The company’s award-winning Bourbon Heritage Center brings to life the history, heritage and lore of Bourbon making. It is a cornerstone of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that has attracted 2.5 million Bourbon tourists over the past five years.
About Elijah Craig Small Batch
Elijah Craig Small Batch is made exclusively from batches of 200 barrels or less of 8- to 12- year-old Bourbon. First brought to market in 1986, Heaven Hill’s Master Distillers were selecting a small number of barrels of the finest Bourbon to make Elijah Craig long before the term “small batch” even existed. It is this attention to detail and superb craftsmanship that give Elijah Craig an ideal balance of age, robust body and rich flavor. Its accolades have included a “Double Gold Medal” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and two-time “Best of the Best” Bourbon by Whisky Magazine.
This signature spirit bears the name of the Rev. Elijah Craig, “The Father of Bourbon” who established his distillery in 1789. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his Kentucky whiskey in charred oak barrels. The clear, unaged corn liquor became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery and one of its bestselling Bourbons by case volume, it is complemented by Elijah Craig 12-Year-Old Barrel Proof, Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel and Elijah Craig 23-Year-Old Single Barrel in the portfolio. For more information, please visitwww.elijahcraig.com.
About Heaven Hill Distillery
Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.2 million barrels aging in 52 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the titles of Whisky Magazine’s Distillery of the Year,Whiskey Advocate’s American Whiskey of the Year and Rye Whiskey of the Year from “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.” For more information, please visit http://www.heavenhill.com/home.
Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”
