Lately, when I have been drinking cask strength Elijah Craig it has been a store pick marked “Private Barrel” from Hokus Pokus and sometimes other stores. These Private Barrels are often bottled at younger ages than the Barrel Proof releases from Heaven Hill, which used to have a twelve year age statement as all Elijah Craig bourbon did. But I picked up the first Barrel Proof release and, lo and behold, it is ten years old rather than twelve. Given the private barrels I have tried at younger ages, I agree with Heaven Hill’s approach of pulling the best barrels when they mature rather than aim for an age statement. Different barrels located in different parts of the warehouse simply mature at different rates.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A124 – 10 years, nine months, 119 proof. Just looking at it in the bottle, it is darker than the Hokus Pokus pick. As it should be given its age. Thin film on the swirl but big legs. Nice caramel and vanilla on the nose, along with some fruity and floral notes. On the palate, this bourbon is quite elegant. Nice vanilla and cherry notes with hints of oak and honeysuckle. Extremely smooth and very different from the other barrel proofs I have had that have basically been old school bourbons with bruiser status because of the proof. On the finish there are cherry Altoids, cloves, and oak.

Elijah Craig Private Barrel from Hokus Pokus – 8 years, 118.3 proof. Color is a pretty average amber, On the swirl is a thin film. On the nose, this is a big caramel bomb with some nice oak and floral notes. On the palate the caramel meets some nice green apples notes with some candied apple notes with baking spices, that reminds me of a green apple pie. On the finish the apples fade leaving nice baking spice lingering for a good while. This is very different from most Eljiah Craig Private Barrels and reminds me a great deal of a few Wild Turkey Master’s Keep releases I have tried. Really a unique barrel.

Overall, I have to give kudos to Heaven Hill for really making their Elijah Craig limited releases and Private Barrels with more unique flavor profiles. I recently had a barrel pick from Kerry’s in Mansura, LA, that was eight years old and definitely was the old school Elijah Craig Barrel Proof flavor profile – an old school excellent bruiser bourbon that I had associated with Elijah Craig as cask strength. It was everything you would want and expect from a cask strength Elijah Craig. These two releases defy my preconceptions of what a cask strength Elijah Craig should taste like. And I like that.