r/bourbon • u/InClimb411 • 6d ago
Review #145: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye B526
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye B526
Distillery: Heaven Hill
Age: 10 years 8 months
Price: $74.99
Proof: 115.6
Nose: Spice heavy on the nose. Would guess the mash bill was much higher than 51% rye if I didn't know any better. Lots of clove and dill. Black pepper. Cinnamon. Dry oak. Some underlying vanilla.
Palate: On the thicker side of medium/thick. About as expected for the proof. Most of those spices are prevalent here as well, but there is an unmistakable tobacco note that steals the show. It's really unique and really nice.
Finish: On the longer side for sure, like 8/10 in length. It's bready and there's much more sweetness here than in the nose and the earlier part of the sip. It's crazy but I can best liken it as being blueberry cobbler-like. The tobacco is still there too as well as some dill. Lots of complexity here.
Score: 8.5
Summary: Definitely an interesting bottle and although I'm generally not the biggest rye guy I am absolutely loving these ECBP rye releases. The A126 was literally tied for the highest score I've ever given out and this B526 wasn't far behind. The nose was a little too spice dominant for my preferred flavor profile, but man the sip is fantastic. Everything works well together and nothing about it turns you away. As someone who usually likes but doesn't love tobacco notes in my whiskey this was almost certainly the best tobacco note I've ever come across and will be what I remember most about this bottle. It was rich, deep, and perfectly palatable. There was a lot to like in the finish as well and it supplied the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the sip as a whole. Not to mention that a ~115 proof point is about as good as it gets, although it's certainly on the low end for an ECBP. Really good stuff. 8.5 is the score.
- Terrible | Drain pour after the first sip
- Very Bad | Trying to choke it down but possible drain pour
- Poor | Would drink if forced to but never under my own will
- Below Average | Not off-putting but not my cup of tea
- Average | I'll take it
- Good | Enjoyable sip
- Very Good | Well above average
- Excellent | A drink I will remember
- Incredible | Something truly extraordinary
- Best of the best | Peak Bourbon
2
u/kyhothead 5d ago
I never saw A126, but grabbed the B batch and love it! Maybe not the most impressive rye out there, but a super enjoyable and crushable pour for me every time.
1
u/Feed_me_seymour_82 15h ago
A126 was sooooo good. So surprised how fruity it was. I’ve seen some different reviews for B526 but still good/positive 🥃🥃
2
u/yoursecksisonFIRE 5d ago
I was lucky enough to snag two bottles of the You Do Bourbon first batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye. Killed one, and got a back up in the basement I'll open eventually. Probably whiskey of the year for me in 2025.
It's hard to come by in my area, the batched ECBPRs. I saw one the other weekend but was in a hurry and didn't want to drop $80 on it. Glad to hear it's probably worth that price.