Elijah Craig, a leading family of premium American Whiskeys, announced the launch of Elijah Craig Toasted Rye.

The newest expression continues the distillery’s tradition of barrel innovation. The process begins with fully matured Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, which is dumped and then re-entered at barrel proof into a second, custom toasted new oak barrel designed in partnership with Independent Stave Company.

The toast on these secondary barrels is unique to Elijah Craig Toasted Rye. At the end of the nearly hour long toasting process, a cap is placed on the barrel to quickly ramp up the heat to an extremely high temperature allowing phenols to embed in the surface of the barrel for an added element of smoke to complement the spice and sweetness of the Rye.

Unlike many other finished whiskeys, this whiskey retains its status as a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey because the second finishing barrel is both new and charred.

“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. “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.”

Elijah Craig Toasted Rye is made as a traditional American Straight Rye Whiskey with 51% rye, 35% corn and 14% malted barley. This combination of grains, which relies heavily on corn as the secondary grain rather than a higher percentage of rye, has been the primary Rye mashbill used by Kentucky Bourbon distilleries since taking over nearly all American Rye production post-Prohibition. Allowing Elijah Craig Rye to rest for a finishing period in the secondary barrel adds the perfect amount of balance from the toast to the classic rye spice.

Each bottle of Elijah Craig Toasted Rye Whiskey will bear hints of softened dark green with the toasted rye designation prominently featured at the top of the label and decorated on the bottle.

This highly allocated release will be available nationally by late July at a suggested retail price of $54.99. Elijah Craig Toasted Rye’s release comes four years after the launch of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon, an offering also available at an SRP of $54.99 for fans of the brand across the country.

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ABOUT ELIJAH CRAIG BOURBON

Known as “The Father of Bourbon,” Elijah Craig is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels to make Bourbon. The clear, unaged corn whiskey became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, Elijah Craig’s community impact continues through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week, providing total donations of more than $400,000 to date to organizations supporting the hospitality industry.

For more information, visit www.elijahcraig.com.