Flight Review: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - Batches B521, C921, and A122

Opening Statements (AKA Description of the Whiskeys):

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Batches B521, C921, and A122 are barrel proof and non-chill filtered Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys 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," "B," and "C" in A122, B521, and C921 denote that these bottles are the first, second, and third releases of their respective years. The "1," "5," and "9" indicate that the batches were released in January, May, and September. Finally, the "21" means that the bourbon was released in 2021 and the "22" means 2022. 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

Age: 12 Years

Batch B521 Proof: 118.2

Batch C921 Proof: 120.2

Batch A122 Proof: 120.8

Direct Examinations (AKA Tasting Notes):

Batch B521:

Nose:

Prominent Oak, Brown Sugar, Creamy Vanilla, Pine Sap, Light Caramel, and Strong Ethanol

Palate:

Creamy Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Oak, and Strong Black Pepper

Finish:

Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Oak, Slightly Bitter Herbal Tobacco, Dr. Pepper Spice, and Powerful Lingering Pepper

Mouth Feel: Thick

Length: Long

Batch C921:

Nose:

Cherry and Raspberry Jam, Creamy Milk Chocolate, Sandalwood, Pine, Vanilla, and Strong Ethanol

Palate:

Dr. Pepper Spice, Vanilla Cream, Milk Chocolate, and Loud Black Pepper

Finish:

Dry Leather, Tobacco, Dark Chocolate, Bitter Oak, Tree Nuts, and a Long Burning Pepper

Mouth Feel: Thick

Length: Long

Batch A122:

Nose:

Orange Rind, Vanilla Cream, Oak, Honey, Flowers, Pine, and Strong Ethanol

Palate:

Caramel, Cherry, Oak, Tobacco, Dr. Pepper Spice, and Powerful Black Pepper

Finish:

Caramel, Dark Cocoa, Slightly Bitter Oak, Very Dry Leather, Earth, and Lingering Black Pepper

Mouth Feel: Thick

Length: Long

Cross Examinations (AKA The Whiskeys' Shortcomings):

Batch B521:

The the pine sap on the nose and bitterness on the finish are a bit off-putting. The burn can also be intense.

Batch C921:

The finish is a little too dry and bitter. The palate also lacks complexity.

Batch A122:

The flavors are all over the place and do not marry with one other into a cohesive experience. The heat is also very intense (this punches like it is closer to 130 proof rather than 120 in my opinion).

Closing Arguments (AKA Conclusions about the Whiskeys):

Batch B521 was very good, but there have been better Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches. Then Batch C921 came along and it was noticeably inferior. I was not that worried about future releases though. One is bound to produce a few lemons here and there; that is just part of business. After all, Batch C921 was not awful, just not as good as any of the other batches I can remember.

However, when I tried Batch A122, I could not believe what I was tasting. The notes were all over the place and created and rough unpleasant experience. The flavors did not mingle into a cohesive unit. It was so unlike what I had come to expect that I went back to my favorite batch, A121, just to see if my taste buds had changed or I was misremembering how much I enjoyed it. Sure enough though, Batch A121 lived up to my memory. That unfortunately means these past 2 releases really are that bad.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is priced as a premium product, but it typically is worth paying for. I can usually find the new releases for $80-$90. I paid $90 each for these three batches. I believe that price is a little high for Batch B521's quality, but it is not unjustifiable in my opinion. If I pay close to $100 for a whiskey, I expect it to be at least an 8 out of 10. Regrettably, Batches C921 and A122 are nowhere near worth paying that much. Those two batches are an indictment on the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof brand (lawyer pun intended). I hope they are anomalies and not what is to be expected in the future. It would be a true shame if this is the new normal for a brand with so much clout.

Verdicts (AKA Scores):

Batch B521: 7.75

Batch C921: 6.25

Batch A122: 5

Verdict Key:

10: I do not posses the vocabulary to adequately or accurately describe this masterpiece. It should not be 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.