Review #: 400
Description: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof May 2015
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: This being my 400th review (on my website, reddit has just a few more), I needed to pick something special. So how about the old style Elijah Craig Barrel Proof that I was luckily able to get a bottle of for modern day retail prices. This one was released in May of 2015, long before I was into critically analyzing alcohol. Just a hair under the hazmat level, let’s see if it is better than more modern stuff or if we look back with rose colored glasses.
Distillery – Heaven Hill
Bottler – Heaven Hill
Brand – Elijah Craig
Selection – N/A
ABV – 69.7%
Age – 12 Years
Nose – Big blast of oak, honey, graham crackers, charcoal, grilled and butter corn on the cob, dark chocolate
Taste – Very heavy and syrupy: fudge, dark chocolate, luxardo cherry syrup, sweet vanilla cream
Finish – Super rich and oaky, cherry pokes through, fudgy brownie, clove and ginger join the oaky embers and just last forever on the tongue
Score: 9
Would I buy a bottle? I was lucky to get this at retail. I don’t want to know what these go for on secondary. It’s hard to replicate this now, but I don’t think I could justify the money and time it would take to get an authentic one
Thoughts: Dang, this is such a complete package. Oak, fruit, sweet and syrupy. The proof is super high and makes every sip an experience in itself. One wrong sip and you are thoroughly punished, but when you do it right, you are rewarded with tons of flavor and complexity. Would love to try a hazmat release and maybe one day the modern ones will climb back up in proof.