Review #237 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B523
Now that the standard 12 year age statement has been removed from the recent batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, we're seeing some more variation. Batch B523, the second batch from 2023, bottled in May, was aged for 11 years and 5 months before bottling - at least, the youngest barrels in the batch were that age.
The Heaven Hill distillery uses a mashbill of 78% corn, 12% barley, and 10% rye for Elijah Craig - slightly unusual, in that malted barley is actually the secondary grain, as opposed to rye. Might that lead to a less spicy experience?
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B523
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 80 (2024)
Age Statement: 11 Years
Strength: 62.1% ABV
Details: Batch B523
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 5 months; bottles at 30% and 40% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Dense and dark, slightly closed up at first. Molasses and brown sugar, along with cherries, adds a sweet side, while there's spice from cinnamon, nutmeg, maybe some cardamom. Woody and slightly dusty, too.
Palate: A medium-thick and velvety mouthfeel, with strong warming oak and some spice like cinnamon. There are still sugary notes - brown sugar, syrup too, and the cherry flavors are now more tart. Hints of grain and leather come later.
Finish: Medium-long, nicely balanced between sweet and dry; oak and cinnamon spice are dominant, with background notes of red fruit and soft leather. Slightly simple now, but nice and oily.
Final Note: A solid Elijah Craig Barrel Proof offering, but not necessarily a standout. This one needed air time to open up in the glass, but it later rewarded with some classic notes that you expect from this profile. Because the price for this barrel proof offering is still so reasonable, it gets a good value score.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.96
