Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 93
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 63.1%
Availability Limited
Price $75.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2025-05-13

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Review

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is released thrice per year, and you could calibrate a calendar to its cadence, with new batches dropping each January, May, and September. Today, we’re looking at the second release of 2025, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525.

In this case, the “B” stands for the year’s second release, while “5” signifies the month (May). The last two digits of the release code indicate the year. Like all Elijah Craig bourbon, this whiskey is distilled from Heaven Hill’s mash bill of 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley.

Notably, at 11 years and 6 months old, this particular “ECBP” is the second-oldest since Heaven Hill removed the guaranteed 12 year age statement in 2023. And at 126.2 proof, it’s a full 8 proof points higher than the first release in 2025, Batch A125.

Let’s dive in and see how it tastes!

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 review.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525: Stats and Availability

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a nationwide, limited release with an MSRP of around $75. While manufacturer Heaven Hill doesn’t disclose specific bottle counts for these releases, it’s generally pretty accessible for bourbon fans. Expect to find it on shelves for within $10 of MSRP (a modest markup is somewhat common, especially in metropolitan areas), though since it’s a limited, three-times-per year bottling, don’t count on this particular batch sitting on shelves for long.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off with potent, dark, jammy fruit. It’s rich in berries and spiced marmalade, as well as cooked apples, peaches, and apricots, together creating one of the more fruit-forward noses on any Elijah Craig in recent memory. At 126.2 proof, B525 actually starts a little tame on the nose when it comes to ethanol, but I have no major complaints there. Indeed, nosing slightly lower than its true ABV allows the whiskey’s softer, sweeter aromas to build without the nostril-numbing effect so many high-proof bourbons feature (for better or for worse).

Fruit eventually settles into baking spice, particularly clove and grated ginger, as well as toasted oak staves. The narrative of fruit-into-oak evokes peach and berry cobbler cooked over a campfire, the coals lending a touch of woodsmoke to the sweet, bubbling dessert. Finally, a thread of nuttiness comes through toward the end of the nose, along with some cocoa and continuing fruit; it’s close to melting peanut butter cups with apple butter. It’s a fascinating, uncommon, and honestly quite pleasant combo.

Taste

A first sip is again big on jammy, preserved fruit, drizzled liberally with melted caramel. That melted peanut butter and chocolate folds much earlier than on the nose, leading to a conjuncture of fruit, nuts, and cocoa even before the midpalate. I can already tell I like this more than the previous three or four ECBP releases, and we’d probably need to go back to the superlative C923 to find one that left such a good initial impression.

The second sip brings significantly more vanilla and almond extract, quite sweet but stopping a bit short of both saccharine and artificial. Cocoa continues to build even as cooked fruit takes a backseat, and by the midpalate, flavors have progressed to melted Tootsie Roll, kissed with a light, oaky astringency and finely ground cinnamon. The tannins are more leather than tobacco, and again, a small amount of campfire rises to the top, with just enough smoke to add depth without overpowering.

It’s a palate that starts with fruit before taking a few turns, but at no point does B525 lose its underpinnings of chocolate and wood sugar. I’m tempted to take another pour.

Finish

On the finish, chocolate and nuts first coalesce into Abba-Zaba candy bar before settling into something akin to Nutella. Lingering pops of peach cobbler and cinnamon-dusted baked apples eventually give way to rye spice, white pepper, and even more toasted oak. Overall, this Elijah Craig acts its age but doesn’t forget to have some fun along the way.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Rating

93/100

Recap

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 is one of the tastier batches in recent memory, and among the best since the expression dropped its once-standard 12-year age statement. It’s satisfying enough that I almost forgot to sample it with a few drops of water (a standard practice for tasting barrel proof expressions). The flavors are complex but discordant, and the bourbon showcases the rich oak character of age while also boasting some impressive variety in the form of fruit, nuts, and various flavor extracts. It’s a bottle Elijah Craig fans will almost surely want to seek out. I’ll be looking for a backup.

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93
POINTS
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is released thrice per year, and you could calibrate a calendar to its cadence, with new batches dropping each January, May, and September. Today, we’re looking at the second release of 2025, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525. In this case, the “B” stands for the year’s second release, while “5” signifies the month (May). The last two digits of the release code indicate the year. Like all Elijah Craig bourbon, this whiskey is distilled from Heaven Hill’s mash bill of 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. Notably, at 11 years and 6 months old, this particular “ECBP” is the second-oldest since Heaven Hill removed the guaranteed 12 year age statement in 2023. And at 126.2 proof, it’s a full 8 proof points higher than the first release in 2025, Batch A125. Let’s dive in and see how it tastes! Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 review.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525: Stats and Availability

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a nationwide, limited release with an MSRP of around $75. While manufacturer Heaven Hill doesn’t disclose specific bottle counts for these releases, it’s generally pretty accessible for bourbon fans. Expect to find it on shelves for within $10 of MSRP (a modest markup is somewhat common, especially in metropolitan areas), though since it’s a limited, three-times-per year bottling, don’t count on this particular batch sitting on shelves for long.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off with potent, dark, jammy fruit. It’s rich in berries and spiced marmalade, as well as cooked apples, peaches, and apricots, together creating one of the more fruit-forward noses on any Elijah Craig in recent memory. At 126.2 proof, B525 actually starts a little tame on the nose when it comes to ethanol, but I have no major complaints there. Indeed, nosing slightly lower than its true ABV allows the whiskey’s softer, sweeter aromas to build without the nostril-numbing effect so many high-proof bourbons feature (for better or for worse). Fruit eventually settles into baking spice, particularly clove and grated ginger, as well as toasted oak staves. The narrative of fruit-into-oak evokes peach and berry cobbler cooked over a campfire, the coals lending a touch of woodsmoke to the sweet, bubbling dessert. Finally, a thread of nuttiness comes through toward the end of the nose, along with some cocoa and continuing fruit; it’s close to melting peanut butter cups with apple butter. It’s a fascinating, uncommon, and honestly quite pleasant combo.

Taste

A first sip is again big on jammy, preserved fruit, drizzled liberally with melted caramel. That melted peanut butter and chocolate folds much earlier than on the nose, leading to a conjuncture of fruit, nuts, and cocoa even before the midpalate. I can already tell I like this more than the previous three or four ECBP releases, and we’d probably need to go back to the superlative C923 to find one that left such a good initial impression. The second sip brings significantly more vanilla and almond extract, quite sweet but stopping a bit short of both saccharine and artificial. Cocoa continues to build even as cooked fruit takes a backseat, and by the midpalate, flavors have progressed to melted Tootsie Roll, kissed with a light, oaky astringency and finely ground cinnamon. The tannins are more leather than tobacco, and again, a small amount of campfire rises to the top, with just enough smoke to add depth without overpowering. It’s a palate that starts with fruit before taking a few turns, but at no point does B525 lose its underpinnings of chocolate and wood sugar. I’m tempted to take another pour.

Finish

On the finish, chocolate and nuts first coalesce into Abba-Zaba candy bar before settling into something akin to Nutella. Lingering pops of peach cobbler and cinnamon-dusted baked apples eventually give way to rye spice, white pepper, and even more toasted oak. Overall, this Elijah Craig acts its age but doesn’t forget to have some fun along the way.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Rating

93/100

Recap

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 is one of the tastier batches in recent memory, and among the best since the expression dropped its once-standard 12-year age statement. It’s satisfying enough that I almost forgot to sample it with a few drops of water (a standard practice for tasting barrel proof expressions). The flavors are complex but discordant, and the bourbon showcases the rich oak character of age while also boasting some impressive variety in the form of fruit, nuts, and various flavor extracts. It’s a bottle Elijah Craig fans will almost surely want to seek out. I’ll be looking for a backup.

Reviewed On: 05-13-2025
93
POINTS
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is released thrice per year, and you could calibrate a calendar to its cadence, with new batches dropping each January, May, and September. Today, we’re looking at the second release of 2025, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525. In this case, the “B” stands for the year’s second release, while “5” signifies the month (May). The last two digits of the release code indicate the year. Like all Elijah Craig bourbon, this whiskey is distilled from Heaven Hill’s mash bill of 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. Notably, at 11 years and 6 months old, this particular “ECBP” is the second-oldest since Heaven Hill removed the guaranteed 12 year age statement in 2023. And at 126.2 proof, it’s a full 8 proof points higher than the first release in 2025, Batch A125. Let’s dive in and see how it tastes! Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 review.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525: Stats and Availability

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a nationwide, limited release with an MSRP of around $75. While manufacturer Heaven Hill doesn’t disclose specific bottle counts for these releases, it’s generally pretty accessible for bourbon fans. Expect to find it on shelves for within $10 of MSRP (a modest markup is somewhat common, especially in metropolitan areas), though since it’s a limited, three-times-per year bottling, don’t count on this particular batch sitting on shelves for long.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off with potent, dark, jammy fruit. It’s rich in berries and spiced marmalade, as well as cooked apples, peaches, and apricots, together creating one of the more fruit-forward noses on any Elijah Craig in recent memory. At 126.2 proof, B525 actually starts a little tame on the nose when it comes to ethanol, but I have no major complaints there. Indeed, nosing slightly lower than its true ABV allows the whiskey’s softer, sweeter aromas to build without the nostril-numbing effect so many high-proof bourbons feature (for better or for worse). Fruit eventually settles into baking spice, particularly clove and grated ginger, as well as toasted oak staves. The narrative of fruit-into-oak evokes peach and berry cobbler cooked over a campfire, the coals lending a touch of woodsmoke to the sweet, bubbling dessert. Finally, a thread of nuttiness comes through toward the end of the nose, along with some cocoa and continuing fruit; it’s close to melting peanut butter cups with apple butter. It’s a fascinating, uncommon, and honestly quite pleasant combo.

Taste

A first sip is again big on jammy, preserved fruit, drizzled liberally with melted caramel. That melted peanut butter and chocolate folds much earlier than on the nose, leading to a conjuncture of fruit, nuts, and cocoa even before the midpalate. I can already tell I like this more than the previous three or four ECBP releases, and we’d probably need to go back to the superlative C923 to find one that left such a good initial impression. The second sip brings significantly more vanilla and almond extract, quite sweet but stopping a bit short of both saccharine and artificial. Cocoa continues to build even as cooked fruit takes a backseat, and by the midpalate, flavors have progressed to melted Tootsie Roll, kissed with a light, oaky astringency and finely ground cinnamon. The tannins are more leather than tobacco, and again, a small amount of campfire rises to the top, with just enough smoke to add depth without overpowering. It’s a palate that starts with fruit before taking a few turns, but at no point does B525 lose its underpinnings of chocolate and wood sugar. I’m tempted to take another pour.

Finish

On the finish, chocolate and nuts first coalesce into Abba-Zaba candy bar before settling into something akin to Nutella. Lingering pops of peach cobbler and cinnamon-dusted baked apples eventually give way to rye spice, white pepper, and even more toasted oak. Overall, this Elijah Craig acts its age but doesn’t forget to have some fun along the way.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Rating

93/100

Recap

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 is one of the tastier batches in recent memory, and among the best since the expression dropped its once-standard 12-year age statement. It’s satisfying enough that I almost forgot to sample it with a few drops of water (a standard practice for tasting barrel proof expressions). The flavors are complex but discordant, and the bourbon showcases the rich oak character of age while also boasting some impressive variety in the form of fruit, nuts, and various flavor extracts. It’s a bottle Elijah Craig fans will almost surely want to seek out. I’ll be looking for a backup.

Reviewed On: 05-13-2025