This is the first 2022 release of Elijah Craig’s Barrel Proof bourbon, aptly named A122. It comes in at 120.8 proof and has a mash bill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye. It’s aged 12 years by Heaven Hill.
This release has gone under criticism by some in the whiskey world because it’s a lower barrel proof than other recent releases, but having not tried any of those, I had to base my thoughts on this release on its own merits.
While Jacob’s Pardon, Nulu and Larceny B521 were recent cask strength releases that I totally enjoyed, this one was a little higher in proof than those three and it definitely drank like it. It was hot in comparison to those other pours, and even after three sips, the ethanol burn didn’t calm down very much.
When I cut it with a little less than a half ounce of water, suddently the heat was managable and the flavors of salted caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon and a little citrus just exploded from the glass. It was a delicious pour neat, made even better after knocking it down a little and opening it up.
I tried it next on an ice sphere and to me the saltiness of the pour really stood out, and the caramel seemed less sweet, and perhaps, darker like a toffee. It was still good, but my perception of the salt notes were enough to help me like it with water the best.
One really nice thing about this bourbon was that its complexity made for an outstanding smoked Old Fashioned. If you can get your hands on this, you won’t be disappointed – unless of course, you compare it to last year’s releases, which I’m hearing were even better.
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CHEERS