The year’s first batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has hit the shelves. This one is aged for 10 years and 9 months before being bottled at cask strength, which in this case was 59.5% ABV. Batch A124 is the first of three to come this year, with the remaining releases B and C slated for May and September.
While owner Heaven Hill’s distillers aim for flavor consistency with the Elijah Craig batches, no two expressions will be identical—a fact of life for any batch series. But that’s a good thing, as fans like to explore the nuances of each. Certainly you can count on big bourbon flavors—vanilla, toasted oak, butterscotch, caramel, baking spice, and a hint of fruitiness by way of apple and orange.
Each Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch is distinguished by a letter and three numbers. The letter, which will be either an A, B, or C, refers to the first, second, or third release of the year, while the first number refers to the month, and the latter two to the year.
The whiskey has developed a cult following, and for good reason—most of the batches we’ve scored have consistently earned scores of 93 or higher. Batch B517 represented a high point, becoming our Whisky of the Year in 2017. When it won that award, the price was just $60 a 750 ml. Six years later, even amid a dizzying upward spiral in whisky prices, Heaven Hill has pretty much held the line, at least in comparison to many other players. With its $75 price tag, the new Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is once again very likely to over-deliver on value.
