Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B523 Bourbon Whiskey

B523 is the batch that changed Elijah Craig Barrel Proof — the first without the twelve-year statement — and Breaking Bourbon called it one of the brand's best batches in a long time, proof that age isn't everything. Elijah Craig is Heaven Hill's flagship, named for the Baptist preacher credited with charring the first bourbon barrel in 1789, and Barrel Proof has been released three times a year since 2013, each batch at its own natural proof; the code reads second batch, May, 2023. In mid-2023 Heaven Hill announced that the twelve-year floor was gone and each batch would print its exact age; B523 is 11 years, 5 months, bottled at 124.2 proof, uncut and non-chill filtered, from the Heaven Hill bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley aged in the Bardstown rickhouses. The Bourbon Resource worried at the time that the change would kill the 130-plus batches, and Men's Journal notes the flexibility it gave the blending team — the very next batch, C923, came in at 13 years 7 months and 133 proof to much fanfare. Expect the house signature — peanut brittle, caramel, cherry, and toasted oak — with a softer, rounder delivery at 124 than the louder batches, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a long, warm, oaky finish. Honest note: B523 is the pivot point of the series and a batch enthusiasts rate above its stats — worth having beside a 12-year-labeled bottle to taste the change. Neat, rested. B523.

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