Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: 13 years, 7 months
Proof: 133 (66.5%)
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of those bottles that serious bourbon enthusiasts tend to stand by. A barrel-strength bourbon with a 12-year age statement at a reasonable price? What’s not to love? When news came from Heaven Hill Distillery that future bottlings of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof would vary in the minimum age, the bourbon faithful feared the worst. Batch C923 put those fears to rest with a staggering 13-year, 7-month age statement. The hype for this batch has been very hard to ignore, so let’s have a taste and see if Elijah Craig Barrel Proof lives up to its reputation.

Tasting notes

First things first, the color of this whiskey is a gorgeous hue of deep amber with a hint of rust. The nose has a bit of ethanol burn at first, but after revisiting about five minutes later, aromas of butterscotch, dark raspberry, sweet tobacco, and a hint of vanilla with charred oak round fill the nose. On the palate, the fruit notes continue to stand strong with a dark berry-forward profile — think black cherry and black raspberry. The deep fruit notes are bolstered by the influence of extended aging. Damp, oaky funk, cinnamon, and clove round the palate out and carry through to an extremely satisfying finish. A finish that lingers and coats the palate for quite some time, landing on caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla notes that persist many minutes after the last sip.

Final thoughts

This is undoubtedly one of the best bourbon releases of the year. When approaching this age range, it’s common to see the influence of barrel aging take over and impart sometimes bitter and tannic notes to the whiskey. That is not the case here. The extended aging seems to have only added a perfect degree of sweet, rich fruitiness, with soft confectionary notes while avoiding an overly-oaked profile. Yes, this still tastes like a well-aged whiskey, and it is a high proof, but it’s exceptionally balanced and none of the potential negative attributes are present to an unpleasant degree. If you are worried about the varying age statement going forward, don’t be alarmed. If anything this development gives Heaven Hill greater flexibility with blending. And if Batch C923 is any indication, that’s a good thing.