2026

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C914 ‘Hazmat’

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Batch C914 (6th retail release)

70.1% ABV
$45
Website
Elijah-Barre-Proof

What the Distillery Says:

Named after the Father of Bourbon, Reverend Elijah Craig this limited release Small Batch, twelve year old Bourbon is bottled at Barrel Proof and without chill filtering, preserving the natural flavors produced during the aging process. At full Barrel Proof, you can enjoy the Bourbon much the same way our Master Distiller does when he samples straight from the barrel or, if you choose, add water to reduce the proof to your liking.

Color: Deep Amber
Aroma: Caramel with oak, fruit notes of apple and orange
Taste: Caramel, vanilla and butterscotch along with spices of black pepper and cinnamon in the back of the palate
Finish: Nice layered finish of all flavors; fades slowly with a hint of cool spearmint at the most lingering end

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, slightly burnt toffee, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, dark chocolate, leather and tobacco.
Palate: Rich mouthfeel, dark chocolate, cocoa, oak, pepper, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and nutty notes.
Finish: Long, drying with oak, cocoa and baking spices.
Comments: Dubbed Hazmat, this sips lower (like 130), but approach with caution. Takes H₂O like a champ, and doesn’t alter the flavor profile much – but does help with tamping down the heat. These early Elijah Craig Barrel Proofs were not all universally tremendous, but by and large they were pretty damned good (although the first retail release honestly set the bar a bit too high).

Rating: Must Buy

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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A116

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch A116

69.4% ABV
$60 (original retail)
Website
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (original bottle design)

What the Distillery Says

To sip Barrel Proof is to experience Bourbon in its purest form: uncut, straight from the barrel, and without chill filtering. Each bottle is hand labeled with its unique proof and batch number; but the nose, taste, and finish are pure Elijah Craig.

UNDERSTANDING THE LABEL
Each batch of Barrel Proof is bottled with a unique age statement, including the month and year of the youngest barrel from the batch. The proof also varies with each release.

The batch number on the label provides specific information about each batch. The first letter indicates the order of the release for that year, starting with “A.” The first number represents the month of the release. The third and fourth digits indicate the year.

TASTING NOTES (not batch specific)
Color: Deep amber
Aroma: Caramel with toasted oak, fruit notes of apple and orange
Taste: Rich vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch along with spices of black pepper & cinnamon at the back of the palate
Finish: Nicely layered showcasing all flavors, fades slowly then lingers as it cools

What Gary Says

Nose: Dark chocolate, salted caramel, slightly burnt crème brûlée, raisins, black cherries, molasses and cocoa.
Palate: Nice and chewy mouthfeel, warm (but not hot) with caramel, dark chocolate, nougat, oak, molasses, vanilla, nutmeg, hint of cinnamon and clove.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with caramel, oak, cocoa and pepper.
Comments: Another one of these lovely, early Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches. Don’t get me wrong – everyone before they changed the bottle up wasn’t completely amazing (although I don’t recall any that were ‘poor’). But some definitely stood out and this is one of them. This is nearly hazmat, but honestly it sips like it was closer to 125 IF you give it some time in the glass. IF you pour and immediately nose, the alcohol doesn’t stand down. This one is more fruity than I recall others of its time being; reminds me a bit of a sherried scotch almost. Don’t be afraid to add some water, which brought out notes of s’mores on the nose (graham crackers and toasted marshmallow) and in the mouth brings out a nutty note while tilting the molasses towards brown sugar and caramel. Layered, complex, and delightful to sip!

Rating: Must Try

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Maker’s Mark No. 46 French Oaked 2023 Cask Strength Bourbon Whisky

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Maker’s Mark No. 46 French Oaked Cask Strength 2023
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Barrel Finished with Ten Virgin French Oak Staves

55.15% ABV
$65
Website
Maker's Mark No. 46 French Oaked Cask Strength Bourbon Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This rare expression is uncut, bottled at cask strength to deliver layers of caramel, almond, fig and chocolate that reach the palate in waves. Not your typical barrel proof, it offers standout flavor and smoothness – the result of a singular, French-oak finishing.

My distillery team swore up and down I had to try Maker’s 46 at cask strength. It took some convincing—because 94 proof is my sweet spot for 46. It’s where that French oak finishing comes through with layers of caramel, vanilla and baking spice. But the intensified experience delivered at barrel proof opened up deeper and darker notes of chocolate and almond with a more complex finish. Well, they convinced me. And I think you will be convinced, too. This is a different kind of cask strength and a different side of 46.
BILL SAMUELS JR.
SON OF THE FOUNDERS, BILL & MARGIE

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, chocolate turtle brownie, oak, vanilla, walnuts, cinnamon with a hint of graham cracker.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel, caramel, charred oak, cinnamon, cocoa, vanilla and cherry cola.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with oak, cinnamon and pepper over brown sugar.
Comments: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is often a no brainer pickup for me. I know, it isn’t age stated (or even pretending to be that old), but it’s tasty as hell. This follows that tradition and doesn’t disappoint. Wish this wasn’t just an annual release. A bit of water tamps the cinnamon and thickens the mouthfeel further, bringing out more chocolate notes. Just a really solid bourbon.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength Batch 007

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Batch 007, Bottled Jan 2015

56.3% ABV
$85-$110
Website
Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength Batch 007

What the Distillery Says

Emphatic, full bodied and utterly unforgettable. 10 Year Old Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is the authentic way to experience the rugged character of our uncompromising Scotch whisky. It is an Islay single malt that is barrier-filtered only and bottled at natural distillery strength. This gives a depth of genuine tasting and texture normally associated with sampling a whisky at its source.

We recommend that you add twice as much water as whisky to fully appreciate the taste characteristics of Original Cask Strength Laphroaig. Whisky at cask strength may overpower the palate, but adding water will release a rich aroma of peat smoke with some sweetness and strong hints of the sea.

What Gary Says

Nose: Peat smoke, medicinal, salty sea air, vanilla, creosote, leather with a bit of light caramel.
Palate: Thick and oily mouthfeel with sweet malt, caramel, peat, cracked pepper, toffee, grilled peaches, pears and oak.
Finish:  Long with syrupy smoke, sea salt, honey and peat.
Comments:  Just another lovely example of Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength! I can’t recall when I bought this, but I finally sat down to do a studied tasting of this while reviewing Batch 015. Both were fairly similar, but this one was clearly a step up in my opinion. In the glass this was slightly darker (touch more of a golden hue), but overall I found this to be richer, with more depth – not sure if there were some older casks in the mix or what but I really like this one.

Rating: Must Try

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Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt Whiskey Aged 10 Years

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt Whiskey Aged 10 Years

48.2% ABV
$70
Website
Stillmans Sonder American Single Malt Whiskey Aged 10 Years
We would like to thank Dancing Goat Distillery and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

What began as a collection of orphaned barrels evolved into a project more than 10 years in the making. From 2010 to 2016, distillation at MGP in Indiana included a series of large exploratory test runs which resulted in a number of unused barrels. Recognizing their potential, the Maas family quietly acquired and curated these stocks over time, with a vision to release them as 10 plus year aged whiskey.

Led by Tom and Nick Maas, the Dancing Goat team embarked on an 18-month process of analysis, blending, finishing, and refinement to take the most choice barrels from their elusive aged stocks. Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt was distilled in Indiana and aged in Wisconsin. After initial maturation, it underwent three rounds of blending, re-barreling, and finishing across a range of casks—including virgin oak, ex-bourbon, Wisconsin brandy, Cognac, and Calvados—before bottling at 96.4 proof (48.2% ABV).

“Stillman’s Sonder is both a tribute and a celebration of everything made possible by the spirit makers of America’s Heartland,” said Nick Brady Maas, Contemporary Stillman and Blender, Stillman’s Sonder.

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruit salad with peaches, pears and apricots, caramel, toffee, malted grain, and a hint of fresh walnuts.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, vanilla flan, pears, apples, oak, cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of cedar.
Finish: Moderately long with honey, caramel and cinnamon.
Comments: This is impressive. American Single Malt is a growing category, and bottles like this are a big part of the reason why. This is delicate, with the cedar note hinting slightly at juniper (not like you’d mistake this for a gin, but like there was a drop of gin in the mix). For me the newness of the category is what makes it interesting, as we don’t have some preconceived notion of “This is what American Single Malt should be” – it can surprise us. And most importantly – sipping it on the back porch was most enjoyable!

Rating: Must Try

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