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If you've ever wondered what barrel proof bourbon tastes like before some marketing team gets its hands on the price tag, this Elijah Craig Barrel Proof review is for you. This is a bottle that regularly gets mentioned in the same breath as Stagg, Booker's and E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof, and it earns that company honestly. No water added, no chill filtration. Just 12 year old Heaven Hill bourbon poured straight from the barrel into the bottle at whatever proof the angels left behind.
Here's the short version if you're skimming: this is one of the best values left in barrel proof bourbon, even with allocation and hype pushing the price up from its original bargain-bin days. The long version, including why the batch code on your bottle actually matters, is below.
From Pirate Bottle To Bourbonite Favorite
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof launched back in 2013 wearing a squat, stubby bottle that bourbonites affectionately nicknamed the "pirate bottle." Those early releases were simply numbered Batch 1 through Batch 12. In 2017 Heaven Hill moved to a taller bottle and started printing date-based batch codes, and that change turned this bottle into a hunting sport. The code breaks down simply: the letter tells you the release order for that year, the next digit or two is the month, and the last two digits are the year. So a bottle marked A120 is the first release of January 2020.
That batch system matters because this bourbon is genuinely different release to release. Proof has swung from the low 120s up into the high 130s depending on the barrels Heaven Hill pulled, and flavor follows right along with it. Batch B517 is the one bourbonites still talk about, since Whisky Advocate named it the number one whisky of its entire 2017 lineup. Other batches lean noticeably more oaky and tannic, which is the risk you take with any single release, non-chill-filtered bourbon. If you're comparing notes with another bourbonite, check the batch code before you compare opinions. You might genuinely be drinking two different bourbons.
Heaven Hill's standard bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley is the backbone here, the same recipe behind Elijah Craig 12 Year and Evan Williams, just aged longer and bottled uncut. The barrel proof category has gotten crowded with heavy hitters like Stagg, William Larue Weller, Four Roses barrel strength picks and Blanton's Straight From the Barrel all competing for shelf space. This bottle doesn't reinvent the wheel next to them, but it consistently delivers more bourbon for the dollar.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Tasting Notes
Proof varies batch to batch, generally landing somewhere between 120 and 140, so what follows is the common thread bourbonites and reviewers keep finding across releases rather than one single tasting.
Nose
Most folks pick up old leather, dark chocolate, clove and black cherry right away, with dried herbs, toasted walnut and a wisp of cigar box underneath. There's usually enough heat at these proofs that it can mask some of the subtler stuff at first sniff, so give it a minute to settle before you dig in. A few drops of water tend to lift orange peel and espresso notes that were hiding behind the alcohol.
Palate
This is where the bourbon shows off. Expect a chewy, dense mouthfeel carrying butterscotch, cinnamon, red pepper and dark fruit, with raspberry or black cherry showing up depending on the batch. It's hot, there's no getting around that at cask strength, but it's rarely harsh in the way some high-proof releases can be. A splash of water genuinely changes the glass here, since dilution redistributes where those flavor compounds sit and lets fruit and milk chocolate notes come forward that proof alone was burying. (1) Go slow with the water though, because too much flattens the whole thing out fast.
Finish
Long, spicy and drying, often outlasting other barrel proof bourbons in the lineup it competes with. Black pepper, chili heat and licorice tend to stick around well after the glass is empty, with a lingering cherry sweetness trying to balance it out. This is the Kentucky hug doing its job. If you're not ready for it, this is not your daily sipper.
Is It Worth The Money?
At roughly $60 to $80 a fifth when you can find it at MSRP, this is still one of the better deals in the barrel proof world, even though prices have climbed from the $35 to $45 range it sold for when it first picked up a cult following. Compare that to Booker's, which runs close to $90, or Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof at around $80 if you can even find it near MSRP, and this bottle looks like one of the smarter buys left on the shelf. It's allocated, so don't expect to walk into just any liquor store and grab one off the shelf. But it's distributed widely enough that persistence usually pays off without resorting to secondary market prices.
If you want a cheaper daily drinker from the same family, Elijah Craig Small Batch, the successor to the Elijah Craig 12 Year we reviewed, gives you a taste of the same house style at standard proof for about $30. If you're set on barrel proof specifically, weigh this against Stagg Jr for a similar price point or step down in proof to Rock Hill Farms if you want to spend more for a single barrel pour. For more context on what separates a good barrel proof bourbon from a great one, our bourbon 101 guide breaks down the terms worth knowing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elijah Craig Barrel Proof worth buying?
Yes, as long as you're not paying wild secondary market markups for it. At or near MSRP it's one of the better dollar-for-dollar barrel proof bourbons on the market.
How old is Elijah Craig Barrel Proof?
Every release carries a 12 year age statement, which is unusually consistent for a cask strength bourbon at this price point.
Why does the proof change every batch?
Barrel proof bourbon is bottled straight from the barrel with nothing added back, so the proof reflects however much water evaporated out of each individual barrel during aging. That's also why some batches taste noticeably different from others.
What's the best Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch?
Batch B517 has the strongest reputation among bourbonites and critics alike, having been named Whisky Advocate's top whisky of 2017, though plenty of other batches have their own fans.
Our Verdict
A-
Because of its bold, barrel-forward flavor, genuine batch-to-batch personality, and a price that still undercuts most of its barrel proof competition, I give this bourbon an A-.
Buy this if you want real cask strength bourbon without mortgaging your liquor cabinet, and if you don't mind doing a little homework on batch codes before you commit. Skip it if you're not a fan of high-proof heat, or if the only bottle you can find has a price tag that's clearly been through the secondary market wringer. Pour it neat first, add water a few drops at a time to find your sweet spot, and let it sit in a Glencairn for a few minutes before you dive in. This could easily be the bourbon of the day, every day, if Heaven Hill ever decided to make enough of it.
Keep sipping: if you want to see how this stacks up against the rest of the barrel proof field, check out our Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof review, or browse all of our bourbon reviews to find your next pour.
References
- Karlsson, B. A. and Friedman, R. (2017). Dilution of whisky: the molecular perspective. Scientific Reports, 7, 6489.
