Review #731 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C925

The latest iteration of Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP) bourbon series - this is batch C925, bottled and released in September of 2025. This bourbon uses Heaven Hill's famous mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, and it's aged in new charred American white oak barrels in northern Kentucky.

This final batch from 2025 sees the youngest age statement for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof to date: 9 years and 1 month, the first time we get a single digit age statement. A lot of enthusiasts, who are more accustomed to the old 12+ year age statements for ECBP, won't be happy with that, but this bourbon still clocks in at a hefty strength of 64.5% ABV (129 proof), and it isn't chill filtered - let's see how it tastes.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C925

USA - Bourbon

Price: USD 70 (2025)

Age Statement: 9 Years

Strength: 64.5% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered; batch C925

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 30% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Nutty, like light peanut butter, but also nutmeg and vanilla. Brown sugar adds more baking notes; it's a bit spirity and hot, and the complexion is relatively light for this brand. Oak is relatively strong, but not too old.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; cinnamon, peanuts, caramel, and almonds combine to form a sort of cocktail nut mixture. Vanilla adds a final sweet note, but then leathery oak builds in strength, and it becomes quite spicy.

Finish: Strong vanilla, and this begins to grow sweeter and lighter into the finish. Nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, and freshly-laundered linens... it grows more mellow, too, but it's still warm. The finish is medium-long.

Final Note: This bourbon is punchy, but the flavors are a little bit plain and simple - there's not much to speak of other than the nutty notes and some baking spices. There is a decent oak influence, but it doesn't show that 'old' or 'mature' oak that we like to find in excellent bourbons - instead, this is a bit leather and dry at times. It's a good bourbon, but nothing exceptional.

Despite the fact that we feel that the value of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has been eroding bit by bit over the past few years (younger age statements, less complexity, and slightly increasing prices), this bourbon still scores an above average 'value rating' from us. It's by no means the best batch of ECBP in recent years, but this is still a punchy barrel proof bourbon with a decent age statement for a reasonable price. We think this could be worth picking up as an introduction to high strength Elijah Craig bourbon, but it's also worth seeking out some of the older batches for their superior flavor.

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.79

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.