Times are getting tougher here. I’m having to go back and make Manhattan’s with bottles that didn’t quite make it as sipping whiskey, which is exactly how I ended up picking up this bottle of Elija Craig. The bottle earned a 57/100 when I reviewed it as a sipping drink, so I was curious to see how it did when mixed into a Manhattan.

I used my standard mix of 2 parts whiskey to 1 part vermouth.

The sweet and spice of the Elijah Craig pairs well with the super sweetness of the vermouth, hiding some, but not all of the alcohol burn and sharp edges the straight whiskey has.

Those sharp edges don’t get covered up by the vermouth enough however, which resulted in just a 9 point increase from the straight whiskey, giving this Elija Craig Small Batch Manhattan a score of 66/00.

Pros

• The sweet and spice in the whiskey combines well with the sweetness in the vermouth, turning this almost into a dessert cocktail.

Cons:

• Even with the vermouth, still has the burn of a cheaper whiskey.
• The vermouth hides a lot of the sharp edges the straight whiskey has, but not quite enough.

Bottle	Score	Price	Type
Manhattan - Blade And Bow	90	$55 / 750ml	Manhattan
Old Fashioned On The Rocks Knob Creek	83	$13 / 750ml	Old Fashioned
Manhattan - Fistful of Bourbon	80	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Four Roses Small Batch	76	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Legent	75	$35 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan-Death's Door	74	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Wild Turkey	73	$35 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Bulleit Bourbon	69	$28 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Dogfish Head Alternate Takes	69	$55/ 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Knob Creek Small Batch	69	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Elija Craig Small Batch	66	$27 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - Redemption Bourbon	53	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan Stillhouse	50	$25 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan Agitator	49	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Manhattan - American XXX Born	35	$26 / 750ml	Manhattan