Tasting 3 Versions of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

Heaven Hill released Elijah Craig Barrel Proof last year, which was lauded by pretty much everyone, even ordinarily tough critics like Sku. There have now been three retail versions of this barrel strength and non-chill-filtered bourbon, and nearly everyone agrees that the first batch (134.2 Proof) has been the best of the three. I've already been through one of those and recently cracked my second.

Prior to the retail release last year, I acquired two other rarer versions of barrel proof Elijah Craig. The first is a 127.6 proof single barrel bottle I picked up at the distillery for a hefty price (nearly twice that of the retail release). The second was part of of a barrel purchase I was involved in with the Georgia Bourbon Society. That barrel, which was 15 years old at the time it was selected, was dubbed the "Amnesia Barrel" because it took so long for Heaven Hill to bottle it that we nearly forgot about it. At bottling, the Amnesia Barrel was a month shy of 16 years old, making it truly one of a kind. (Heaven Hill barely let us do this, and I'd be surprised if anyone else has a barrel proof Elijah Craig private selection, much less one this old.)

The first batch of the ECBP has long since been drunk or stashed away for safe keeping, and the other two single barrels are not available for purchase. That makes these reviews generally worthless to 99.9% of the folks that might read this. Take heart, though, because Heaven Hill plans to release barrel proof Elijah Craig periodically, which will likely have a good bit in common with these bourbons. 

Retail Bottling (Batch 1)

Price: $40
Proof: 67.1% ABV (134.2 Proof)

Age: 12 Years
Color: Very Dark Brown (like Coca-Cola)

Nose: Sweet candies (think, Smarties) that I absolutely love in bourbon and old polished oak in perfect balance.
Palate: Loads of oak at full strength, but it is balanced by some brown sugar sweetness and red hot candies. With water, the oak subsides some and some caramel and vanilla come out to join the red hots. 
Finish: A full 40 seconds after a small full strength sip, the sweetness is still on my tongue. The finish becomes a bit shorter with water. 

Overall: A- 

Heaven Hill Gift Shop Barrel Strength

Single Barrel

Price: $75 (that is not a typo)
Proof: 63.8% ABV (127.6 Proof)

Age: 12 Years
Color: Dark Amber

Nose: Really nice. Cigar box wood with more candy sweetness (Sweet Tarts this time) and vanilla.
Palate: Black cherries and vanilla and spicy cinnamon at full strength. Water brings out more candy sweetness. 
Finish: Moderate in length and woodier and less sweet than the nose and palate would suggest. Water makes the finish longer and sweeter with a touch of lingering bitterness from the wood and a bit of classic Heaven Hill mintiness I don't get from the other two.

Overall: B+

Georgia Bourbon Society 

"Amnesia Barrel"

Price: $39 
Proof: 64% ABV (128 Proof)

Age: 15 years, 11 months
Color: Deep Amber (Grade B Maple Syrup)

Nose: Kiln dried wood, leather, and tobacco with subtle butterscotch and cherry cough drops. 
Palate: The wood is turned up to 11 on this one. At full strength, the tannic oak is at the forefront with some cherry and cinnamon underneath. With water, the wood subsides in a major way, and a touch of vanilla and caramel come through.
Finish: Very, very long and warm at full strength with lingering bitterness from the wood. With water, the finish becomes a bit more medicinal.

Overall: C+

Conclusions

Tasting these side by side was an eye opening experience, which made me really appreciate retail Batch 1 in a way I had not previously. The amount of oak in Batch 1 would ordinarily overpower a whiskey, but Heaven Hill's blenders managed to balance that woodiness with incredible candy sweetness. The gift shop single barrel had a lot of those same candy flavors, but lacked the depth, punch and finish that the retail bottle had. As for the Amnesia Barrel, I've really enjoyed this whiskey to date, but it falls way short head to head with the other two. This is a great example of older not always being better. If only Heaven Hill had bottled it closer to 15 years!