Review #298 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A122
This is batch A122 of Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig Barrel Proof bourbon; it was released in 2022, specifically in the month of January. This carried a standard 12 year age statement, like all of the batches had in the few years preceding 2023, and it came with a barrel proof strength of 60.4% ABV (120.8 proof), which is on the lower side for these ECBP batches. It also has a guarantee of no chill filtration.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A122
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 70 (2024)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 60.4% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered; batch A122
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 17 months; bottles at 60% and 80% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: More dry as opposed to sweet, with salted peanut shells, hazelnut, and some rich oak. Lighter baking notes of vanilla and caramel come in, and then darker notes arrive: leather, old oak, and some dark cherries. There are more baking spices that develop: clove, chair, and cardamom.
Palate: Medium-thick, with some warmth, but not too hot. Sweetness now from maple syrup and molasses, but also dry oak, with hints of bitter tannins and bitter tobacco. Fruits come in the form of cherries and candied strawberry, maybe a bit of candied orange rind, and we also get baking notes: nutmeg, clove, and demerara sugar. Decent balance between sweet and dry flavors overall.
Finish: Medium-long, and now it's warming and quite oaky. There are some tannins and wood sugars, as well as accent flavors of cinnamon, oranges, cherries, and leather polish.
Final Note: This is a nice bourbon, but a bit more simple than some batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - a bit less depth. Still nice to sip on, and decent value, but other batches, especially those with higher strength, have a bit more flavor to offer.
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 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: 6.47
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Elijah Craig reviews:
Review #297 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A121
