I've Tried Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Limited-Run Bourbon Is a Great Value and a Must-Buy

Whenever a new whiskey is announced, it’s common to see bourbon enthusiasts throw out one of a handful of common complaints.

“I’ll never be able to find a bottle, and if I do, there’s no way I can afford it.”

“The proof is so low, why can’t they bottle it at cask strength?”

These comments, among others, are all too familiar to anyone who has spent any time in online whiskey communities. In a world where new limited releases keep climbing in price and old favorites are becoming more and more scarce, the frustration is warranted. Aficionados just want high-quality whiskey that’s readily available at a fair price. Is that too much to ask?

Thankfully, that bourbon already exists. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of my personal favorites, and a favorite among those in the community who love no-holds-barred, authentic, straight-to-the-point bourbon whiskey.

What is Elijah Craig Barrel Proof?

Distilled by the Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof can be described as the standard Elijah Craig Small Batch on whiskey steroids. Like the name says, it’s a barrel-proof whiskey, the strength hovering around approximately 128.0 to 140.2 proof. It’s non-chill filtered, so it’s as close as it gets to tasting it straight from the barrel, which aged in one of Heaven Hill’s rickhouses just outside of Bardstown, KY.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP) is made with the same mash bill that Heaven Hill uses for all Elijah Craig bourbons: 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. The slightly higher malted barley content gives it a unique richness that separates it from rye-forward recipes.

Heaven Hill releases three batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof annually. Each individual batch is denoted by a different alphanumeric code that explains when each batch was dropped.

Let’s break down what that codes mean. The most recent batch was C924. The letter corresponds to which batch of the year this bottle comes from: “A” for the first batch, “B” for the second, and “C” for the third. The first number represents the month in which the batch was released. In the case of C924, the “9” means the batch hit store shelves in September. The final two numerals stand for the year. “24” simply means this batch was released in 2024. Once you understand that, it’s extremely easy to figure out when any individual bottle of Elijah Craig was released.

Of course, the variation among batches, along with the coding system, has led Elijah Craig Barrel Proof to become a bit of a collector’s item among enthusiasts. In online bourbon communities, drinkers often try different batches and compare tasting notes. Blind side-by-side tastings aren’t uncommon.

For quite some time, each release had a 12-year minimum age statement. This changed in mid-2023 when each batch began to have a varying age statement based on the youngest bourbon in each blend. Batch B523 was the first to sport an 11-year, 5-month age statement instead of a flat 12 years. The change presumably was done to give the team at Heaven Hill a bit more flexibility when selecting and blending barrels for each ECBP batch.

Like many Elijah Craig fans, I try to taste as many different batches as I can. I currently have four bottles spanning the past two years of releases in my personal collection and have personal favorite among them.

Last fall, Heaven Hill released ECBP batch C923 to much fanfare. With an age statement of over 13 years and 7 months and clocking an impressive 133 proof, this promised to be one of the most special releases in the label’s history. Once I procured a bottle and poured myself a glass, I was blown away by the strength, balance, and depth of flavor. The degree of balance in this bottle is difficult for any distillery to pull off at such a high proof and with such a mature bourbon.

How does Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Taste?

Every individual batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is slightly different, but there are some tasting notes that broadly apply to the entire line. One thing is certain across all bottlings—the whiskey is not for the faint of heart.

On the nose, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is dense, strong, and rich. The oak influence is very clear with notes of deep caramelized brown sugar and sweet tobacco. Those strong aromas are balanced by a fruity sweetness that reminds me of chocolate-covered cherries along with raisins and dried dates.

Once sipped, the age and proof are still quite apparent. This whiskey tends to be very warm with notes of dried fruit, molasses, and caramel. There’s a slight tannic drying on the side of the mouth that shows how well-aged this whiskey is. A pop of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg on the back palate balances everything out quite nicely.

Understandably, this unfiltered, full-strength whiskey's finish is lengthy and satisfying. Notes of clove, black pepper, and cinnamon give way to warm butterscotch. If intense, full-strength bourbons are your thing, there’s a lot to love with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. 

Although ECBP has a suggested retail price of $75, the fan-favorite bottles tend to climb in price on the secondary market. To get the best price, make sure to scoop them up quickly when you see them.

Related: I've Tried Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Barrel-Proof Bourbon Is the Best Value on Shelves