Whisky Advocate Top 20

Each year, Whisky Advocate Buying Guide reviewers collectively sample hundreds of whiskies. They include rare and extremely limited releases, as well as new and emerging labels that will find their way to shelves across the nation. To determine their Top 20, they begin by looking only at whiskies that rated "outstanding" (90 points or higher on Whisky Advocate's 100-point scale). However, the Top 20 is not simply a collection of their highest-rated whiskies, because many of those are so limited they would be impossible for most readers to locate or purchase. Therefore, in addition to quality (based on score), their selection also prioritizes value (based on price) and availability. Buying Guide reviewers nominate whiskies based on these criteria.

This Years Winner

Heaven Hill’s Elijah Craig line casts a wide net, from the entry-level Small Batch at $30 to the oldest, Elijah Craig 23 year old, which costs around $200. This year’s release of Barrel Proof, the middle child, boasts a few new developments that are notable for enthusiasts and collectors. After Small Batch dropped its age statement last year, Barrel Proof assumed the 12 year old mantle. The whiskey has a new bottle and label, which makes tracking the batches easy. The letter of the batch number—B517 for the batch I tasted—indicates which of the three yearly batches the whiskey came from. The first number is the month of release and the last two numbers represent the year. This year’s previous batch (A117) rated 94 points in Whisky Advocate (Fred Minnick, Spring 2017), suggesting Elijah Craig is capable of impressive consistency.

My Taste

You'll notice from the picture that the batch number is B517, which is what you want to look for to ensure you're tasting the #1 batch. Fantastic sip for the price. It's well-balanced, with strong vanilla and caramel giving way to fruit, wood, and tobacco. It's well-structured and has a warm copper color. With a 124.2 proof there is a bite and a drop of water to open it up might be a good idea.

Whiskey Advocate Stats

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