Heaven Hill returns to form with this latest batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. Coming off the heels of Batch B519 - the brand’s lowest proof release at 122.2 - the final batch of 2019 is a monster in more ways than one.  ‍

Nose: Heavy vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and oak. Nothing shockingly unique, but overall sweet and punchy.

Palate: Bold oak, sweet brown sugar, burnt caramel, and rich vanilla.  

Finish: Cinnamon, rich seasoned oak, toffee, and a pinch of leather.

Because it’s “bourbon hunting season” and many will be left empty-handed, if you come across this batch, it’s a perfect fill-in for that limited release you really wanted, but couldn’t get. If you’re a high proof high flavor lover, this holds especially true this year with George T. Stagg being the least "George T. Staggy" it's ever been.  In many ways, Batch C919 is an all around better bourbon too. It may not feature that classic Stagg flavor (ironically neither does this year’s Stagg), but does an excellent job delivering a rich and flavorful traditional bourbon flavor profile. Yes it’s hot, but it's not the proof doing the heavy work here. It’s flavor profile manages to outshine its proof. That’s not always easy to do when you’re 136.8 proof.

Once again, Heaven Hill releases another solid batch of Elijah Craig, which has to be one of the most consistent brands on the market. Sure there are batches that are better than others, but you really can’t go wrong picking one of these up - especially this final batch of 2019.

The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Heaven Hill. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.