Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Batch A121

Opening Statement (Description of the Whiskey):

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Batch A121 is a barrel proof and non-chill filtered Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced by Heaven Hill Distillery. Heaven Hill is the largest family owned and operated American distillery and the sixth largest supplier of distilled spirits in United States. The distillery was founded in 1933 after prohibition and was funded in large part by the Shapira family in Kentucky. In 1935, the Shapiras bought out the distillery and have kept the business in the family ever since. Today, Max Shapira is the current president of Heaven Hill. The company's line of Elijah Craig Bourbons are named for Reverend Elijah Craig, a Kentucky Baptist preacher who is credited by some to have created the very first bourbons by putting his whiskey in charred oak barrels. However, historians, such as Michael Veach, have called this claim erroneous. While Rev. Elijah Craig was a Kentucky preacher who did distill whiskey in Kentucky beginning in the lat 1700s, he likely was not the first distiller to create bourbon.

Regardless of the whiskey's namesake, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a special edition of Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig portfolio that changes from batch to batch. Heaven Hill has released three different batches of its Elijah Craig Barrel Proof series 3 times per year since 2013. The "A" in A121 denotes that this bottle is the first release of the year. The "1" after the "A" indicates that the batch was released in January. Finally, the "21" means that the bourbon was released in 2021. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is made from the same barrels that Elijah Craig Small Batch is. The only differences being that the barrel proof bourbon is not cut to 94 proof, is not chill filtered, and all of the barrels used are 12 years old. Additionally, while all of the bourbon used in the barrel proof batches is made from the same mash bill, put in barrels at the same proof, and aged for the same period of time, they nonetheless vary in proof and flavor profile from batch to batch. This is due to the fact that no two barrels will impart the exact same characteristics on whiskey and the barrels from different batches are not aged in the same time period (i.e. a batch released in 2019 will not be exposed to the season changes in 2020, and a batch released in 2020 and aged for 12 years would not be exposed to weather patterns from 2007, unlike the 2019 batch release). This process creates 3 unique bourbons per year that cannot be replicated. As a result, all of the barrel proof releases are allocated products.

Parent Company: Not applicable. Heaven Hill Brands is privately owned by the Shapira family.

Distillery & Bottling Company: Heaven Hill

Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, and 12% Malted Barley

Proof: 123.6

Age: 12 Years

Direct Examination (AKA Tasting Notes):

Nose: Toasted Vanilla, Nutmeg (like Eggnog), Chocolate Cake, Red Apple, Strawberry, Cinnamon, Strong Ethanol, and Sweet Corn

Palate: Sweet Vanilla Cream, Red Apple, Strawberry, Chocolate, Roasted Tree Nuts, Burnt Caramel, Peppery Heat

Finish: Intense Chocolate, Vanilla, More Peppery Heat, Light Barrel Tannins, and a Long Length

Mouth Feel: Heavy

Cross Examination (AKA The Whiskey's Shortcomings):

This bourbon has a LOT of heat and the finish, while delicious, is not as complex as the palate or nose.

Closing Arguments (AKA Conclusions about the Whiskey): The nose begins with toasted vanilla and nutmeg to create a eggnog-like experience. Next chocolate cake rushes in followed by the fruity notes of red apples and strawberries. Cinnamon can also be found after a bit of exploration. Strong ethanol and sweet con round up the notes on the nose. Wow! I cannot wait try this!

The palate starts with vanilla sweet cream mixed with the same fruity notes on the nose. The chocolate note from the nose travels over to the palate as well. Delicious roasted tree nuts and burnt caramel appear next. The palate ends with an intense flash of peppery heat.

A powerful chocolate is the foremost note on the finish. Vanilla is found next hiding behind the chocolate. More intense black pepper heat and light bitter barrel tannins are the finale. The length is long and satisfying. The feel is heavy and coats the mouth.

What a ride! This is everything that I previously said Elijah Craig Small Batch had the potential to be and more. The nose and palate had an enormous variety of flavors to explore and almost all of them were full bodied. This bourbon perfectly mingles the rich and decadent vanilla, chocolate, and caramel flavors of a traditional bourbon with lively fruit notes. The baking spices on the nose and roasted notes on the palate are also interwoven seamlessly with the whiskey's sweeter aspects. Unlike Elijah Craig Small Batch, this bourbon uses the right amount of bitter barrel tannins to tame what could otherwise be an overly sweet profile. The only areas of improvement for this whiskey that I can see is that the heat from the high proof can be overpowering at times. In addition, I was so amazed and enthralled with the depth of notes on the nose and palate, that I was disappointed with the comparatively simple finish flavors. All that being said, I still find this whiskey incredible. The MSRP for this bottle is $65, but I have never seen it for this price (even Heaven Hill Distillery's price was more than $80). While this whiskey is not cheap, and the secondary market can have even more exorbitant prices, I think that $80 is a fair price for the quality of the product being sold. This bourbon is phenomenal.

Verdict (AKA Score): 8.75

Verdict Key: 10: I do not possess the vocabulary to adequately or accurately describe this masterpiece. It should not be possible for man to create such art. 9: Incredible. Hoard this stuff. Paying secondary market prices is totally worth it. 8: A real pleasure to sip. Always try to have at least one bottle and a back up on hand. 7: A solid pour. Daily drinker for sure. Try to have a bottle on hand. 6: Would not say no to a pour if offered to me, but I won't go out of my way to find it. 5: Good to mix with a coke. 4: Swing and a miss. A mixer makes it tolerable. 3: Only if I had nothing else to drink in the house. 2: Was this made in a prison toilet? 1: This is the stuff the KGB used to slowly and painfully kill prisoners. 0: An abomination of epic proportions. Should not be called whiskey.