Elijah Craig Small Batch Barrel Proof Review
I was thrilled to find a bottle at my local grocery store in their specialty liquor/wine shop. I didn’t think I’d ever find a limited release at a grocery store! This isn’t my favorite Barrel Proof bourbon, but it’s a damn good one.
BOTTLE DETAILS
ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH BARREL PROOF
- DISTILLER: Heaven Hill
- BATCH#: B517 (May 2017)
- MASH BILL: Heaven Hill’s traditional bourbon mash bill – 75% Corn | 13% Rye | 12% Malted Barley
- AGE: 12 Years
- YEAR: 2017
- PROOF: 124.2 (62.1% ABV)
- MSRP: $55.00
Brent's NOTES
NOSE: Alcohol | Caramel | Cocoa | Clove | Anise
TASTE: Oak | Mint | Herbal | Rye
FINISH: Long with a big warm Kentucky Hug that flows down into your chest. Not a burn, but you know it’s there. But thin with more cinnamon. It’s a bit thin on the mouthfeel but not in a negative way. This isn’t an overly sweet bourbon, but it’s also not too oaky. IMO, it’s just right.
SHARE WITH: Serious bourbon drinkers and fans of Barrel Proof limited or allocated releases. Not for first timers.
WORTH THE PRICE: Yes. Retail ranges from $55.00 to $69.99 and it’s worth it, especially considering that every release is a bit different.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Buy a bottle for your home bar if you can find it.
OVERALL: I was thrilled to find a bottle at my local grocery store in their specialty liquor/wine shop. I didn’t think I’d ever find a limited release at a grocery store! This isn’t my favorite Barrel Proof bourbon, but it’s a damn good one. Especially for $70 considering what some of these newer brands are asking for their juice that is either sourced or just plain terrible. I won’t be killing this in one night, it will be enjoyed with good friends and people who can appreciate what it is and it’s complex flavors.
BRAND NOTES
Made in the same tradition as other award-winning Elijah Craig Bourbons, this bottle is an essential experience for lovers of great-tasting Bourbon. Uncut, straight from the barrel without chill filtering, the nose, taste, and finish created by twelve years of aging are preserved in their simplest form. At full Barrel Proof, you can enjoy Elijah Craig much the same way our Master Distillers do when they sample straight from the barrel in our Kentucky rickhouses. Or, add water to reduce the proof to exactly where you want it.
COLOR: Deep Amber
NOSE: Caramel with toasted oak, fruit notes of apple and orange
TASTE: Rich vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch along with spices of black pepper & cinnamon at the back of the palate
FINISH: Nicely layered showcasing all flavors, fades slowly then lingers as it cools
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.