Spirit Of the Week: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 Bourbon
Another barrel-proof banger from the bourbon masters at Elijah Craig.
“Striving for greatness,” Conor O’Driscoll states simply when asked what the overriding manifesto commands for the Elijah Craig label within the larger Heaven Hill family. “Those of us working on this brand, and really every brand at Heaven Hill, are driven by a commitment to consistently produce high-quality whiskeys across the portfolio. The Elijah Craig family plays a major role in the Heaven Hill family because it represents so many skills the company is known for.”
Acquired by Heaven Hill in 1976, the Elijah Craig label didn’t launch until 1986—and has since grown into one of the Kentucky distillery’s most beloved offerings. Beyond the core “Small Batch” and “Barrel Proof” offerings, Elijah Craig annually releases extra-aged whiskeys like Elijah Craig 18-Year, as well as new barrel finishes via its “Toasted Barrel” and “Toasted Rye” bottles.
Elijah Craig’s “Barrel Proof” program launched in 2013 and drops three times per year—January, May and September—with this A125 edition being the first for 2025. Boasting an age statement of 10 years, 7 months (representing the youngest barrel in the batch, which varies from edition to edition) A125’s potent 59.1 percent ABV (118.2-proof) is funnily enough on the lighter side of their regular Barrel Proof offerings. Yet you won’t find anything light about this viscous uber-bourbon, which adds layers of pipe tobacco, prunes and maraschino cherries to the traditional vanilla, charred oak and honey notes of aged bourbon.
What makes Elijah Craig exceptional in the world of Kentucky whiskeys is its consistency amid this variation in both age and proof. So we were curious: Does O’Driscoll and company choose barrels that they think will perfectly blend for the Elijah Craig signature profile, or do they at times select a specific note (e.g. honey, cinnamon, vanilla, etc.) they want to highlight for a particular quarterly release? “The easiest answer is that it’s a team effort,” the Master Distiller replies. “We have a highly skilled team who tastes our releases and ensures that the highest quality liquid goes into our products.”
Having joined the Heaven Hill family recently in 2019 as Master Distiller, the Kentucky Bourbon veteran brought the distillery—and most notably Louisville’s Bernheim Distillery, which he leads—not only production skill but also a a wealth of experience in aging and barrel selection.
“I work alongside [the team] to ensure the barrels chosen for our Elijah Craig Barrel Proof fit the classic spice and sweetness Elijah Craig is known for, but at a higher proof—straight from the barrel,” O’Driscoll clarifies. “When we find a unique quality across a collection barrels, we do our best to highlight that uniqueness while staying true to the taste Elijah Craig fans know and love.” Elijah Craig’s A125 Barrel Proof Bourbon is now available for $75 SRP.
Follow Deputy Editor on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
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