Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Small Batch Bourbon is one of those whiskey releases that whiskey geeks are sure to fawn over. In fact, there are three releases each year that whiskey folks get excited about — as Heaven Hill drops three batches of their famed Elijah Craig bourbon at barrel proof spaced throughout each calendar year.
There’s a little mystery to each batch’s release, and that helps make it fun. Very quickly, each batch comes with a code so that you know what you’re getting. You’ll see a batch number, like “A124” or “B922” or “C523”, on a bottle. The letter — “A”, “B”, or “C” — denotes the release of the year with “A” being the first and “C” being the last. The next number — “1”, “5”, or “9” — tells you the month the whiskey was released during the year — “January”, “May”, or “September.” Lastly, the two-digit number at the end is the year. So, if it ends in “22”, it was released in 2022 — and so on.
Read our reviews of 2023 and 2022’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbons by clicking on the batch numbers: Batch A123, Batch B523, Batch C923, Batch A122, Batch B522, and Batch C922.
The uniqueness of these releases depends on what’s actually in the batch. The age ranges anywhere from 10 to 13 years old as a minimum. That means that there are potentially older barrels in the batches but not younger ones. Because of the ranges in age, the flavor profile of these releases can also vary pretty wildly. The team at Heaven Hill tends to have fun with these releases by offering something truly different with each batch. Some will be nutty and woody. Others will be cherry spice bombs. While some others will be ABV monsters with a deep numbing burn followed by florals, fruit, and tobacco.
Because of all the variation, you have whiskey aficionados clamoring to get all three releases every year to taste them side by side, and then side by side with previous years’ releases… It’s a whole thing.
Below, I’m going to break down what we know so far about the 2024 trio of releases. Luckily, A124 has already hit shelves. So I’ll be giving you my tasting notes on that one. It’s a winner, folks. The other two releases have only been whispered about so far. So I’ll just lay down what’s known.
Release 1 — Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch A124
ABV: 59.5%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
2024’s first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a unique one. The batch is made from barrels that averaged out to 10 years and nine months old, which is on the young side for these releases. Moreover, the ABVs are much lower than usual as well, coming in under 60%.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich salted caramel, apple fritters, cherry pie, winter spice, old leather tobacco pouches, and deep oakiness drive the nose with a touch of rye bread crust and nutty … I want to say granola covered in dark chocolate.
Palate: The sweetness really gets buttery on the palate with rich toffee and salted caramel ice cream next to creamy cinnamon chews, vanilla malt, dark and smooth chocolate sauce, and a counterpoint of sharp oak spices with a touch of old spicy tobacco.
Finish: That tobacco and oaky spice sharpen on the finish before the creamy caramel, vanilla, and chocolate base returns for a soft and lush end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great and classic Kentucky sipping bourbon. You’ll probably want to pour it over a big ice cube to enjoy the subtler notes. But … this is a pretty low-proof for a high-proof from this brand. So try it neat first and then take your time digging in. Once you’ve done all of that, throw this into an old fashioned. It’ll sing.
Release Date:
On shelves now!
Release 2 — Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch B524
ABV: 61.8% (likely)
Average Price: $60 (MSRP)
What We Know So Far:
This will be made with approximately 12-year-old barrels (at a minimum). Not much else is known yet.
Release Date:
May 2024 (likely some hitting shelves in late April).
Release 3 — Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch C924
ABV: Unknown
Average Price: $60 (MSRP)
What We Know So Far:
No information has leaked out yet.
Release Date:
September 2024 (with some leaking out in August).