Recently, Heaven Hill released their latest batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP). Batch B520 is the second batch of 2020, and I’ve got to say it’s a bruiser of a whiskey. Bottled at 63.6% abv, 12-year-old ECBP B520 is running on all cylinders. I’ve stated before that Heaven Hill does a masterful job of keeping the quality high for each batch.

Notes of dark chocolate, cherries, sweet oak, and slightly burnt caramel hint at the whiskey’s advanced age. Dark caramel and some spice kick things off on the palate. Spice cake meet tobacco leaf on the mid-palate with vanilla bean and some ripe red fruit, while mild oak tannins add a touch of astringency. The slightly hot finish is long, which is expected.

The more I taste Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, the more I think it’s a great value (approximately $60) to the consumer looking for not only a high proof offering, but an older one at that. Elijah Craig’s always leaned to a slightly oak-forward flavor profile (like Beam’s Knob Creek), but it has managed to keep a beautiful balance from batch to batch. That’s what you call quality distilling, aging, and blending. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Heaven Hill Distillery for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.