For a while, Elijah Craig “Small Batch” was the only barrel pick you could get from Heaven Hill, but starting in late 2019, Larceny was added to the menu. A tangent, but I don’t know why there aren’t Evan Williams, Henry McKenna, Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond, or Old Fitz picks. Now in Summery 2019, Virginia received (most likely requested, not personally picked) 4 barrels of Elijah Craig: 8, 9, 10, and 11 years old. I was lucky enough to pick up 2 bottles of the 11 year, not because I know it’s good, but because why not?
The first bottle of bourbon I ever bought was the now discontinued Elijah Craig Small Batch that was 12 years old (RIP high age statements on accessible bourbons). Given that the normal small batch is now NAS, I’ve been itching to find older barrel picks of Elijah Craig that come close to the old blend. In my first Elijah Craig barrel pick review, I reviewed the Montgomery County DLC 8 Year, which was good, but often too hot. In this Elijah Craig 11 Year VABC barrel pick review, let’s find out if extra aging gives this bourbon a boost.
