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This special edition of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is the result of my visit to the "You do Bourbon Experience" at Haven Hill's distillery campus. The tour package was about $40 and primarily consisted of a tasting of four full proof editions from Heaven Hill's lineup: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye, Bernheim Barrel Proof, and Larceny Barrel Proof. July 2025 was the first time they offered the rye and it was tasty but didn't edge our the bourbon for me. Participants assess short pours of the four options before picking one to bottle, a process in which you pull a large lever to fill the bottle to a perfectly and then apply the labels, adding your name and any custom messaging as you see fit. The "fill your own bottle" gimmick is quickly popping up at other places (Bardstown and Michter's come to mind), and I can happily say that it is quite fun.
You may know that Elijah Craig typically releases three batches for year (A, B, and C), but batch Y (for "You do Bourbon") is a smaller construct held for the distillery experiences. This is from batch Y625 meaning that it was batched in month six, June, of 2025. Y batches are small mingle blends that are typically sourced from far fewer barrels than the major public batches, often fewer than 20. Heaven Hill uses the series as a test-bed for profiles and may depart from the targeted profile of the major releases.
🛒Sourced: $79.99 at the Bardstown Heaven Hill Campus, KY - 750ml. I would note that this is above what I can find locally at well priced retail shops.
🧪Proof: 135 proof, 67.5% ABV - on the higher end for a ECBP. This shows a higher proportion of high-floor or exterior-rick barrels which experienced more water evaporation, bringing the proof up.
🎨Color: R6.5 - A lovely chestnut brown, almost milk chocolate color, heavy legs and some sediment
🥔Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley. This is the "HH Reg" mash bill that is found in most Heaven Hill bourbon products such as Evan Williams, Henry McKenna, JTS Brown, and JW Dant. It is non-chill filtered. No age statement on this Y release. Barrel entry proof is the usual 125.
👃Nose: Fat gobs of vanilla, very little sting for the proof, old oak, pastry
😜Palate: Active, thick, and heavy on the tongue, it somehow avoids being overly hot. I get predominantly vanilla that deepens into chocolate cake. There is a little bit of coco bite in the transition to the finish that is pretty interesting. Over ice or with some small amount of water added, I get much more of a chocolate chip cookie element, more sweet and rounded off. Both experiences are enjoyable and have something special to offer, another case where drinking it over ice is far from a sin.
💦Finish: Flavor duration is medium length though there is a quite enjoyable belly warmth that hangs around for what feels like days. I would describe the main sensation as snickerdoodle dusted with baking spices.
🏆 Overall: 8/10 - Excellent - I'm a huge fan of pastry stouts when it comes to beer, and this Elijah Craig Batch Y comes the closest to that experience of any non-finished bourbon I've ever tried. Based on the color, relative smoothness, and even-keeled heat, I would hazard there are some relatively old barrels in the mix. The bakery flavors are well developed and dynamic, and it is a particularly highlight for me that drinking it with differing amounts of dilution does unlock a new range of flavors. While I'm not sure I'd drive six hours just to get another, this is some gosh darn good whiskey.
💵Would buy again? Absolutely. I love the batched Elijah Craig Products even if I wasn't as big a fan of some of the distiller select single barrels.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously.