Review #238 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C923
The first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, from Heaven Hill, with an age higher than the older 12 year standard - this is C923, from September of 2023. Along with the high age of 13 years and 7 months, we get a high strength: 133 proof (66.5% ABV), so flavor delivery ought to be immense.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C923
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 80 (2024)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 66.5% ABV
Details: Batch C923
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottle at 100% fill, and tasted from a sample. Rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Oaky, rich, and densely flavored; lots of dark sweetness like molasses and brown sugar, but also plenty of wood smoke, cigars, perfumed oak, and barbecued wood balancing it out. Black pepper and dusty nuts, along with some leather, add to the mature profile.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel, with plenty of oak and warmth. Old oak with some tannins, dusty oak, wood char and wood smoke; leather, bitter tobacco, pepper, and nutmeg add to the strong dry side. There are soft fruits - mild cherry, hints of orange - as well as some baking notes like cinnamon and brown sugar, along with hints of bitter dark chocolate.
Finish: Very oily and syrupy in texture, with a little more sweetness. The oak is still strong, bringing tannins, barbecue, and dry leather, but there's a nice brown sugar flavor, which grows stronger. In the aftertaste, bitter tobacco smoke lingers.
Final Note: The oak here is very strong - dominant, along with those leather and wood smoke notes. We actually tried this in a tasting alongside three 18+ year old whiskies, and this Elijah Craig was easily the oakiest-tasting of the bunch. It strikes a nice balance between sweet and dry, probably leaning a bit toward the dry side, and the mature notes are very well integrated with the high strength.
If you can get this around MSRP, jump on it - those days are likely ending, though, as the hype around this release has spread wide. Value at that price is excellent, but even with a bit of a (reasonable) markup, this one is worth paying for.
Our Average Rating: 8.3 / 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: 7.74
