I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
Another year, another round of Barrel Proof Heaven Hill releases. These things are always good, with only slight differences between them. But they keep sending them, so I keep reviewing them. I mean, it’s more fun to taste whiskey when you know it’ll be good before you even open the bottle. Some of the bottles I receive are unknown, and there’s always that little bit of fear that I’m about to put something horrible in my mouth. And no one wants to put something horrible in their mouth.
I’ve talked to women before.
Before we dig into how this whiskey tastes, we should probably discuss what it is. Well, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 is, as the name suggests, a barrel-proof version of Elijah Craig. The A125 designation is a bit more complicated but not too bad. A denotes the release order of the calendar year: A = first, B = second, C = third. 1 is the month of the release—January, in this case. 25 is the year of release (it’s now 2025, in case you were unaware). So, A125 means this is the first release of the year, released in January 2025.
OK, now let’s get a drink. I, for one, could use one.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, A125
Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $74.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00
Details: 59.1% ABV. 10 years, 7 months old.
Nose: Caramel, oak, vanilla custard, and nutmeg.
Mouth: Follows the nose with notes of caramel, vanilla custard, spicy cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.
Finish: Hot and long with baking spices and vanilla custard.
Thoughts: This is really, really good. As usual. I haven’t run across a single release in this series that isn’t delicious. That said, some are slightly better or worse than others, so let’s look at a comparison.
Comparison to Last Time: The nose is similar, but C924 is sweeter. C924 is hotter and spicier, while A125 showcases a lot more sweet vanilla. Both finishes are hot and pretty long. Both take water well, though C924 doesn’t show many changes with a little water, while A125 amps up the sweetness.
Both are delicious, but if forced to choose, both my wife and I would pick A125.
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