Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 Review
The first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was released in March 2013, which makes this this is the 37th batch of ECBP. At 118.2 proof, it is among the two lowest proof batches ever released, tied with batch C921. And at 10 years 7 months old, it is also the youngest batch ever released. Even though that is young for an ECBP, 10 years is still a decent age for a bourbon. So, will these lack-luster stats translate to a less than normal experience for this batch? Grab a pour and lets taste our way through this Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 review.
Series: Annual Barrel Proof series, Batch 1 of 3
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 10 years, 7 months
Proof: 118.2
Batch Designation: Small Batch
Proof Designation: Barrel Proof
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
Barrel Char Level: 3
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Distillate Source: Heaven Hill
Distillery: Elijah Craig Distillery Co. (Heaven Hill)
Company: Heaven Hill
Bottled By: Elijah Craig Distillery
Distilled/Aging Location: Bardstown, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Conor O’Driscoll
Release Date: January 2025
MSRP: $75
Secondary Market: $99 – $120
Availability: Relatively Available
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 Review
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 1 week), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads on the crown began forming at about 5 seconds, the first legs began to fall at about 30 seconds, and the first legs to reach the bowl were at about 73 seconds.
Nose
Oak stands out followed by some caramel, custard, milk chocolate, ethanol, prune, hint of bubble gum.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: The nose is kind of muted. I think that the lower proof point is not giving you the big punch of flavor that you normally get from an ECBP. It smells a little bit like a Booker’s, with a honey roasted peanut type vibe. Caramels, vanillas are there, some brown sugar. A hint of bubble gum. A little sweet oak, maybe a hint of milk chocolate.
Breaking Bourbon: Salted caramel | Fresh ground pepper | Kindling wood | Leather | Faint dark berries | Touch of dill | Light ethanol
Bourbon Guy: Caramel, oak, vanilla custard, and nutmeg.
Palate
On the palate A125 is semi-dry with a strong oak presence, some caramel, baking spices, mild vanilla, light brown sugar, leather, barrel char. A decent sip, but nothing impressive. Less sweet than the normal ECBP.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: It comes across a little bit herbal. A little bit of black tea, there’s a good spice. But a lot of the sweetness and oak that I’m used to with ECBP isn’t quite to the forefront yet. On second sip, this is really easy sipping. The nuttiness, the caramel, the vanillas all kind of intertwining here. Nothing here is making me go “wow”, unfortunately. There is a decent amount of oak here, but it doesn’t get into some of those really rich, older oaky notes that you find in some of the older ECBP. The oak is there, but its not taking me anywhere that is special.
Breaking Bourbon: Rye spice | Chewy oak | Cigar box | Leather | Light bubble gum | Pink dragon fruit | Caramel
Bourbon Guy: Follows the nose with notes of caramel, vanilla custard, spicy cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.
Finish
The finish is medium-long, dominated by spice that mellows out to caramel and vanilla.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: There is a nice cinnamon red hot spice on the backend.
Breaking Bourbon: Rye spice | Chewy dry tannic oak | Leather | Lingering light spice | Dry
Bourbon Guy: Hot and long with baking spices and vanilla custard.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is Silken and pleasant but not memorable.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
3 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is about what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 115 – 120 proof.
Tasting Summary
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 is good but not great. A125 is more savory/dry than ECBP’s more typical sweet profile. On the palate it is semi-sweet with dominant oak, light caramel and vanilla, a fair amount of spiciness and maybe a hint of chocolate. Not very complex.
For $75 it’s not a bad buy and it is much better than it’s cousin A124, but there are many better batches (IMO) including: C924, B 524, C923, B523, C922…
My Rating
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 6.9 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
| Availability Score | 3 | 1-Rare, 2-Hard to Find, 3-A Little Hunting, 4-Easy to Find |
Pass, Bar, Buy, or Bunker?
Rating: BAR- I’d try a sample of this before deciding to purchase. For the price, it’s a good bourbon and I’m not mad at it…but there are many ECBP’s that are better.
Rating Scale:
PASS – I wish that I had never put this in my mouth!
BAR – I don’t love it or hate it…I suggest trying this in a bar before purchasing it.
BUY – I would buy it once…maybe more.
BUNKER – Love this! I want a back-up bottle…or 3.
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
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