Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 88 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 59.1% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $75.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2025-01-28 |
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A125 Review
Heaven Hill’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof bourbon is usually one of the calendar year’s first limited American whiskey releases. The thrice-annual bottling is back to kick off 2025, this time with a younger and lower-proof offering compared to the final batch of 2024.
The January 2025 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof carries the code “A125.” For those a bit newer to the lineup, here’s a primer on how to read those codes. (Jabbering on about a favorite batch code is practically a pastime among bourbon aficionados.)
- Letters correspond to the year’s release number; in this case, “A” means the year’s first batch.
- The first numeral refers to the release month; in this case, “1” corresponds to January.
- The final two numerals correspond to the year; in this case, “25.”
A125 is bottled at 118.2 proof and carries an age statement of 10 years and 7 months, referring to the youngest whiskey included in the batch. As with its predecessors, it’s made from Heaven Hill’s standard bourbon mash bill of 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and 10 percent rye.
For comparison, C124 (last year’s final release) came in at 129 proof and 11 years old. In the history of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, 2025’s first bottling is both younger and lower-proof than we’re generally used to.
Of course, age and proof are hardly guarantors of quality, and there’s almost always variation from batch to batch. Let’s taste and see!
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A125: Stats and Availability
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP) carries the same suggested retail price as last year: about $75. The expression used to carry a guaranteed age statement of 12 years, but since dropping that in 2023, we’ve seen batches go above and below that mark. Secondary pricing and retail markups can vary accordingly, with the 13-year-old C923 commanding somewhat of a premium. Recently, I’ve seen most current releases hover right at or slightly above suggested retail. This is a limited release, but it’s generally findable nationwide for close to MSRP.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A125 Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Compared to what I expect from Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, this nose starts off restrained. Those classic and pronounced notes of leather, tobacco, citrus, and sweet wood — very defined on Batch B524, for instance — almost seemed to linger below the ethanol, even with the relatively tame proof.
I give the nose a little extra time to open (and double check the temperature near my desk, as cold bourbon can remain “tight.”) That extra time pays off, and I’m finally able to pick up cooked banana, burnt vanilla sugar cookie, barrel char, darkly roasted hazelnuts, and tanned leather aromas. Noticeably, that leather component isn’t as dark and doesn’t convey age as much as recent batches bottled at 11 years or older. Semi-dark chocolate wafts out of the glass next, along with milky café crème. Together, those aromas combine into an astringent and very lightly sweetened mocha — perhaps with a pump of hazelnut syrup.
Charred lemon peel provides a touch of tartness in a different form than recent bottlings, where I generally picked up more chocolate orange. Batch A125 also presents with a noticeable minerality (magnesium and calcium), more so than normal. That could be due to the dialed-back nature of some of its sweeter components and/or the lighter citrus.
Ultimately, ECBP A125 gets fairly close to the familiar profile on the nose, but it takes its time in doing so.
Taste
The first sip is slightly nuttier and far sweeter than the early nose. Honey/caramel meets vanilla extract and a pop of baking spice for an amalgam very close to snickerdoodles. Cinnamon builds with a second sip, but generally, this pour stays on the sweeter side with spice as a complementary flavor; it never comes close to red hot cinnamon candy or chewing gum. Glazed pineapple slices and baked clove linger toward the front of the palate, adding some welcome complexity early on.
While ECBP is known for bold, oak-forward flavors, subsequent sips here come across as below the stated 118.2 proof. To me, this drinks closer to 110 or even 107 proof. It’s quite pleasant from one taste to the next, but I’m missing the full weight — and flavors — associated with some of this lineup’s best versions.
Tannins do build enough toward the midpalate to convey age, but they’re closer to honey-sweetened tea than the rich leather and drying tobacco leaves I’m more familiar with.
On the one hand, that could make A125 a great entry point to this particular lineup. I’d call this a more accessible ECBP, and perhaps one that could appeal to folks not accustomed to the usual intensity of this bourbon at uncut barrel strength. The flipside of that, however, is that seasoned ECBP drinkers might find the flavors a quarter-step down in depth, complexity, and fervor.
Finish
A milder ECBP on the palate leads to a remarkably pleasant finish. Those lingering flavors — which include barrel-aged honey, gingersnaps, and effervescent lemon-lime soda — are the best components of this bourbon. Frankly, the final act redeems a mid-strength palate. It still lacks the full complexity of the best Elijah Craigs, but I found plenty to like nonetheless.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A125 Rating
88/100
Recap
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of the most consistently bold, flavor-forward bourbons on the market. Batch A125 takes a step back from intensity, and while older doesn’t mean better, this release does taste somewhat younger and lighter than many predecessors. That said, a composed finish helps boost the overall drinking experience. Additionally, this could be a great bridge for drinkers newer to higher-proof bourbons — and a good starting point for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof flights.
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