Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B519 Review

Steve Coomes -

BOTTLES DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Heaven Hill
  • MASH BILL: 78% corn  |  12% rye  |  10% malt
  • AGE: 12 Years
  • YEAR: 2019
  • PROOF: 122.2 Proof (61.1% ABV)
  • MSRP: $60

STEVE'S NOTES

NOSE: Caramel and Candy Corn | Vanilla | Cotton Candy | Corn Flakes

TASTE: Honey, Orange, Vanilla | Pleasantly palate coating | A tingle of cinnamon

FINISH: Medium length, warm to slightly hot | A little dry as oak character emerges

SHARE WITH: Any bourbon fan, especially those who like high proof

WORTH THE PRICE: Yes, especially if you’re assembling a vertical

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle

OVERALL: NOSE: Caramel and Candy Corn | Vanilla | Cotton Candy | Corn Flakes

TASTE: Honey, Orange, Vanilla | Pleasantly palate coating | A tingle of cinnamon

FINISH: Medium length, warm to slightly hot | A little dry as oak character emerges

SHARE WITH: Any bourbon fan, especially those who like high proof

WORTH THE PRICE: Yes, especially if you’re assembling a vertical

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle

OVERALL: This is an all-around solid whiskey that won’t disappoint. But to violate an iron-clad rule of multi-sibling parenting, I’m saying its older brother, A119, this year’s first ECBP release, is better in every respect. A119 is headed for Harvard while B519 is good state school material. To strain the sibling metaphor further, the A119 is the charismatic kid, attractively assertive in every respect (perhaps helped some by its 135 proof), and its boldness presents as complexity rather than a brute punch in the face. Still, Elijah Craig fans will find the B519 completely likeable. Its EC DNA is as pure and recognizable as its sibling’s; it’s just packaged in a softer, gentler version.

BRAND NOTES

ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF BATCHES

Each batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is an uncut Small Batch of 12-year-old Bourbon bottled straight from the barrel. The variance in proof from batch to batch presents a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the angel's share and the resulting proof in a small batch of barrels.

The first letter of the batch number indicates which of that year's releases the bottle was a part of, starting with "A," while the second digit is a number that determines the month of the year the bottle was released. The third and fourth digits indicate the year. Hover over the years below to see the full list of releases and their respective proofs.

NOSE: Caramel with toasted oak, fruit notes of apple and orange

TASTE: Rich vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch along with spices of black pepper and cinnamon at the back of the palate

FINISH: Nicely layered showcasing all flavors, fades slowly then lingers as it cools

Disclaimer:Heaven Hill provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.