He has written about whiskey, food, drink, and culture for Esquire, Playboy, Men's Journal, Popular Science, Southern Living, Maxim, among others. B522 means that this is the second release of the year, thus 'B' as in A., B., and C. (I get a bonus check for obscure British TV references just kidding), and was released in 5/22 or May of 2022. The Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch B522 is uncut with . For this blind taste test, I lined up the following bottles: When it comes to ranking these barrel proof bourbons, its pretty simple. Generally speaking, you can expect brands to start dropping their new bottles now with big releases landing in the spring, summer, and fall. And I mean amazing in a negative connotation. Similar in some ways to BTAC George T. Stagg. I think with ECBP they should really try to keep the proof at 135+..it makes it so much better, IMO. Now, sadlyBOTH are proverbial unicorns! I have some in a crystal tumbler as I write this. All Rights reserved. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has been called a lot of things over the years, including a full proof monster by me in 2020 when the folks at Heaven Hill tried to melt our faces with two 130-proof point releases in the same year. Who wants a drink? What You Should Know about the 2021 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batches: You already know the accolades for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. Finish: The end has a mild sense of dry sweetgrass and plenty of heat that gives way to an echo of that cinnamon and dark chocolate with a smidge of smoldering cacao husks and cinnamon bark. Haaaaaaa I have a #6, but waiting for special occasion to open it. After the palate firestorm that was 2020, this year is comparably calmlike the eye of a storm. Thats more than 10 points down from the 136.6-proof bottle released in 2020 (and nowhere near the one released half a decade ago that topped out at over 139. MSRP: $50/each Have never had a bottle of ECBP before to compare it with, but it is very oaky, and very good. Elijah Craig 18-Year ; Whats this I see about release 11 139.4p Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Straight Bourbon. Proof: Varies by Release I like it a lot, but its not quite as rich and flavorful as #11. Yup.youre correct. The first letter of the batch number indicates which of that years releases the bottle was a part of starting with A, while the second digit is a number that determines the month of the year the bottle was released. Press Esc to cancel. Its the finite and complete view of what they do at Four Roses in a single bottle. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof release #2 for 2021 is here, coded B521, and while it's the typical 12 years of age, it's unusual in that it's the lowest proof release of the spirit in nearly two dozen of these special editions. Thankfully, this one knew when to stop, and did so on a dime. The first batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof in 2022, A122 picks up where last year's Batch C921 left off with a lower proofpoint coming in at 120.8. 2017 Copyright The Bourbon Review. So, I guess if we want to enjoy a 12-yr EC bourbon, grab a hold of the latest. This was the 3333 Virginia Beach Boulevard location. You can grab last years bottle for around $70, not thousands of dollars. 200 each. MSRP: $90 I was sweating because of the heat coming 2020s 136-proof monster release. Also plenty of the Four Roses Single Barrel. Of course, theres more to it than simply whether a bourbon is proofed with water or not before it goes into the bottle, but we dont need to get bogged down in all that. ABV: Varies I was successful as well. Ive been really leaning towards the cask strength or barrel proofs. $55 at Total Wine. Just got number 11 yesterday 49.99,all this bourbon craziness is started to remind me of the stock market bubble before it popped,when you go to the grocery store and hear little old ladies talking about pappy van winkle you know its about time. Batch A121 is the first release of Elijah Craig's Barrel Proof expressions for 2021. Yoink! Palate: The palate opens with soft brown sugar next to cherries dipped in dark chocolate, allspice berries, and eggnog creaminess. Id love to help a brother out. Dude, HA!You better buy that bottle if you want some. I picked it up and enjoy it quite a bit. He told me to my face that all 10,12, and 15 year Pappy would be first come first serve, as the email from HQ stated. He has written about whiskey, food, drink, and culture for Esquire, Playboy, Men's Journal, Popular Science, Southern Living, Maxim, among others. Texture is another storysweet corn and creamy tendrils of vanilla move around the palate. Location Virginia Beach, VA. Ok.lets be a little more transparent here..you got the two bottles (lucky you) in VA Beach (or the Hamptons Road area) because your name was on a waiting list OR you are a licenseethats what the Richmond office told me when I called.youre not just gonna walk into a store off the street as a regular customer and pick one off of the shelf.nah ah. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (Heaven Hill) is a damn fine bottle of bourbon that you can still get at a fairly affordable price (though its starting to reach above its MSRP in some places). There seems to be a lot here in Pa. Was lucky and picked up 4 bottles of release #10 last week. Store at two, one with the 12-yr label and the other without. I didnt realize how difficult it is to find until i read these comments glad i picked it up when i had the chance. Just snagged two bottles of #6 in Virginia this afternoon. This was a funky Beam product and I kind of dig it. I Am The ECbp addict and keep an eye on this post regularly to see whats up. Thats of course if you enjoy the Heaven Hill Distillery distinct style. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a full proof monster with a few cousins on the market. Still, this is a multi-award winning bourbon thats often called out as a very underrated bottle of booze to have on hand. A great ECBP only needs to do a few things to be great: drink well at proof, hint at cocoa, and acknowledge its 12-year age. Its weird to say this felt cheap but it just did. Palate: The palate is classic bourbon with a rich vanilla white cake frosted with buttercream next to bold dark cherry, woody notes of dry reeds, and salted caramel with a twinge of orange oils. Review: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch #A122 Bourbon Packs the Flavor This craft darling from Washington state is all about local ingredients. The flavors are subdued and this is a menacingly sippable bourbon batch. The reason the ECBP was reveled was the quality along with the value. Just picked up a bottle of #12 in Palatine,IL. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon 2022 Release 70cl / Batch #B522. Dont get me wrong: if I see 139 proof in January, Ill be just excited as everyone else. 2017 Copyright The Bourbon Review. The "1" denotes the release month, January, while the 23 represents the current year. The whiskey in the bottle was created from barrels from the middle/sweet spot of four warehouses. (I know, blasphemous) i tried it in a drink first to try it out though. Thats whats fun about tasting these blinds, finding out answers to questions like that. Each release is put out consistently at 12 years aged, as the proof varies from batch to batch. The gift shop sells for higher because they dont want to undercut their retailers. Were 2 left now just one. Still, since its Wild Turkey, you should be able to find these for little to no mark up when they drop. Unless something unexpected happens, the plan is to always have them debut in January, May, and September of each year. Probably a blended 8 12 year instead of a straight 12 year. This stuff isnt that hard to find and the prices, by large are climbing, but there are still reasonable deals to be had. Barrel proof whiskeys are simply made from barrels that hit certain flavor notes which makes them ideal for bottling without water. *ALL* (allocated, limited releases including once a year releases such as BTAC and Pappy ) stock will now be shelved and sold on a first come, first serve basis, after they have honored the requests of those who were on these so called waiting lists.smdh. Lets hope for more like these in 2022s ECBP crop. Grabbed a case for deer hunting in MN. Nose: Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the way on the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness. I text my stepson who said it gets some good reviews and some mediocre reviews so lets split the cost & I went back and grabbed it. Quite smooth for the strength. I was lucky enough to see a bottle of batch 9 on the shelf. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon A122 | Beverage Dynamics Of course, we're talking a much higher ABV than regular Elijah Craig's 94 proof. It would be delicious, save for the proof buzzing in your head the entire time, like a headache. The store only got two and the buyer of the first was gracious enough to not buy both, which is making me re-think how I buy things. So Batch C920 is the third 2020 batch, released in September. Still letting it sit for a while to ensure proper mixing. This expression is part of a new three-bottle roll out from Barton 1792 (Sazerac Company). Yes, it was a special order/wait list. Real or just hype? Better start looking for it. Worth it? Still, the top five really are the ones you want to focus on if youre looking for a truly fantastic barrel proof bourbon pour. I made out like a bandit with special ordering ECBP batches 9 and 10. Also plenty of Stagg Jr. PUT THE GODDAMN BOTTLES OUT ON THE GODDAMN SHELVES SO THAT THE GODDAMN CUSTOMERS CAN BUY THE GODDAMN SHIT!!! It was deep and rewarding from nose to finish. Learn how your comment data is processed. So could the highest proof bottle be the best this year? Barrells New Year Bourbon is one of the most beloved releases of the year. While the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 2022 batches may not have produced any standouts among themselves, they did end up delivering pleasing pours for those who end up trying any (or all) of the batches. Let's find out. As with 2020, this is a 12-year, unfiltered, batch strength release, and they can be pretty intense. The Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 2022 bourbon release is finding its way to a liquor store near you. Get the latest bourbon news to your inbox: my ranking for 2020 Bookers Bourbon batches. But Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is also showing off some year-to-year variety in 2021. Not sure how I feel about all this online stuff VA is doing now. Congrats! Finish: The finish leans into a stewed apple with a hint of clove and sassafras that, in turn, leads to almond tobacco and plenty of cedar wrapped in old leather.