Distillery: Heaven Hill
Proof: 118.2
Age: 12 Yrs
Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley
BACKGROUND: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a limited release from Heaven Hill. It is a rye based bourbon whiskey bottled at cask strength 3 times per year, in January, May, and September. It was brought to market in 2013 as a competitor to Jim Beam's Booker's, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and other long running cask strength rye based bourbons. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a 12 year old cask strength bourbon whiskey which has always had great reviews. B521 is the second release of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof in 2021 and we are very excited to be one of the first large review companies to review it for you all. A121 scored a 90 so let's take see how B521 matches up. Huge thanks to ABC liquors in Austin, TX for helping us get our hands on this bottle.
NOSE: The nose is slightly underwhelming from what we expect from the usual expressions. There is a subtle undertone of ethanol beneath scents of vanilla, freshly baked rye bread, some orange citrus, and lighter oak notes. (20/25)
PALATE: The palate is quite straightforward and simple but has rich and bold flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, rye spice, and brown sugar. The proof is quite noticeable on the tail-end of the palate. Overall, this one was underwhelming for what we have come to expect for Elijah Craig Barrel proof. (31/40)
FINISH: The finish is the best part of this one with tons of spice in the form of black pepper, all spice, and cinnamon. It is quite long with a subtle sweetness in the form of some honey. (21/25)
VALUE: With an SRP of $60 this is a a good value for a 12 year age stated, cask strength, but there are some better cheaper cask strengths on the market. (7/10)
Overall: 79/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B521 was unfortunately quite disappointing and left a lot to be desired. We're not quite sure if this one is worth the hunt but if you have the entire collection keep it going! Folks who enjoy straight forward, simple, high proof whiskey will most likely enjoy this but for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases it leaves a lot to be desired. We're looking forward to Heaven Hill righting the ship with C921
Similar & Slightly Better Whiskey: 1792 Full Proof
Similar & Equal Whiskey: Barrell Bourbon Batch 29
Similar & Slightly Worse Whiskey: Belle Meade Reserve Cask Strength
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback on our page!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Near perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
Below 50: Give away
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