Elijah Craig 12 Years Single Barrel sports the old EC12 label with the big 12 emblazoned on the front. This bottle however differs significantly from the regular EC12 that used to adorn liquor store shelves because instead of being a combination of about 200 barrels this comes from a single barrel, like it says above. I haven’t seen any Elijah Craig 12 Years store picks in a few years, so I’m sure it’s not too easy to find one today, but I thought it would be an interesting bottle to take a look at during Bourbon Heritage month.
Because this is a Elijah Craig 12 Years Single Barrel remember that your experience, should you have one or find one, will be different than the one I’m writing about unless you have the exact same K&L barrel. However, if you have one you’re enjoying feel free to add your thoughts about your barrel (along with barrel info) in the comments below. I’d love to read how it differs.
Elijah Craig 12 Years Single Barrel Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Heaven Hill
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye & 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 47%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Barrel: 2387
Location: KK – 3rd Fl.
Price: $30
Elijah Craig 12 Years Single Barrel Review
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Oak, rich raisin heavy dark fruit, toasted grains, vanilla, farmy hay-like quality, complex baking spice, toffee and butterscotch with some light cocoa. The aroma on this is just lovely, it’s what a good bourbon should smell like.
PALATE
Oak, toasted grains, rich dark fruit, complex baking spices, vanilla and light notes of cocoa and pie crust. Like the aroma the flavor is a wonderful example of a good bourbon and it’s something I love sipping on.
FINISH
Long fade of peanuts, dark fruit, spice, oak and mint.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good sense of balance, round full body and a rich oily texture.
OVERALL
This particular Elijah Craig 12 Years Single Barrel was a store pick done by K&L a couple years ago and like a lot of K&L’s picks it was great. To me it really highlighted the best parts of Elijah Craig – by extension Heaven Hill – and did the brand a great service in highlighting the rustic beauty of this bourbon.
The combination of oak, spice, dark sweets and vanilla in this Elijah Craig 12 Years Single Barrel creates an overall character of rustic meets meets sweet. It’s a good solid bourbon with an elegance and structure that’s classic and inviting. It needs a bit more depth to take to the next level, but as it sits I have no complaints. It’s a great daily drinker and I wish they were a bit more common.
SCORE: 88/100 (B+)
