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Elijah Craig Captures
Single-Barrel Top Honors
How good are Master Distiller Parker Beam's bourbons?
The man behind the winner of Cocktail.com's single-barrel competition, Elijah Craig, and third-placed Henry McKenna, bested one of his other creations in our taste-off: the Spirit Journal's 1999 Whiskey of the Year, fourth-placed Evan Williams.
Although Evan ranked fourth, the editors at Cocktail.com also rated it the Best Bourbon for the Buck. Many of our experts were impressed by its unusually smooth palate and easy finish.
Rock Hill Farms broke up the dominant family of bourbons, rating a strong number two. Its crisp, sweet nose and smooth finish made this bourbon worthy of the rich price.
Bourbon aficionado craving a more rough finish will probably prefer Hancock's Reserve, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit or the pioneer of single-barrel bourbon, Blanton's.
Here are this month's results:
| Rank | Brand | Price | Score | Tastes Like ... |
| 1 | Elijah Craig 18-year-old | $36 | 99 | nutty, vanilla |
| 2 | Rock Hill Farms | $50 | 98 | creamy |
| 3 | Henry McKenna | $28 | 97 | sweet, rich |
| 4 | Evan Williams 1990 Vintage | $22 | 96 | smoky |
| 5 | Elmer T. Lee | $25 | 90 | caramel |
| 6 | Hancock Reserve | $50 | 87 | rough and tumble |
| 7 | Blanton’s Single-Barrel | $45 | 85 | light with a bite |
| 8 | Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit | $45 | 84 | harsh |
The editors of Cocktail.com would like to thank the manufacturers of the aforementioned bourbons for allowing us to evaluate their products. Prices are based on current rates on Liquor.com.
