Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A124 - We Should Have Seen This Coming!

[@JohnKay79]

I'm pretty sure the owners at Heaven Hill are losing their minds at how well you just called them out...lol

[@garyskeel3236]

My guy spent 7 solid minutes going all in on Heaven Hill, 2 minutes and 45 seconds actually reviewing their whiskey, then used the last minute to circle back to letting heaven hill have it, with a closing public service announcement to protect your nipples. And that, dear reader, is why I’m a subscriber to this channel.

[@tommydude969]

Omg, this made me question if I had twice the amount of gummies I really had. Glad I'm not the only one

[@jacksmith2315]

​@@tommydude969i hope you mean gummies as in edibles, and not gummies as in bj's from toothless old ladies lmao

[@dshindo1837]

Matt, a fellow Iron Mountain Yooper here . Not only are you a master distiller you are a master story teller . This was probably one of the best reviews I have seen on the tube . Great work and good luck with the teeth .

[@therealkingseekul]

I tried bourbon about 4 months ago and been collecting them ever since. I have on 20 different bottles. Why in the hell nobody told me this was heaven I even quit drinking beer and wine.

[@lukstephens1]

I love the storied rendition of how the single barrel program came to be lol we need more story time with Matt

[@boagrius7765]

This is my favorite bourbon channel.

[@mikekennedy7983]

This video is art. Matt, in a world of copycat videos on bourbon, you are by far the best and most entertaining.

[@nickp5511]

Just got my bottle today and I think it’s really sweet up front and a nice spice finish! It’s a really nice pour and the age statement doesn’t concern me:) it’s great! Cheers

[@twentyfiveyears5010]

"The first sip is bright and nutty" like you, Matt.

[@darkpatches]

I've got so much regular and high octane 12 yo EC, Very Old Barton 6 yo and Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon 6 yo BiB bunkered, they'll probably use it set my funeral barge on fire. I saw what those a-holes and the market were doing and stocked up. I also have an ungodly number of Old Grand Dad 114 too from when they pulled it from the shelves for a while. $40-45 Booker's (remember that?!), too. Better safe than sorry. Great vid.

[@jasono.1629]

Nice! You’re now not forced to buy the weaker bottles of today.

[@FakingANerve]

​@@jasono.1629Exactly! I really wish I wasn't forced to drink A124, but this a$$hole next to me WON'T PUT DOWN THE F*CKING GUN!!!

[@kpmarine10]

Can’t wait to see you not forget how good we had it with C923 when you review C924.

[@claytonmitchell5685]

I generally enjoy these every time, so I'm still looking forward to picking it up. As long as they stay consistently over 10 years old, consistently over 115 proof, and every 3rd or 4th batch is a bit older than the rest like C923 was, I have no trouble paying the price for one of these bad boys every time. When OF is putting out a 100 proof 10 year bottle for $115, it's hard to complain about ECBP's getting younger but keeping their relative price point

[@ejbsee6081]

I have an open ECBP A123 that is my best open bourbon as of 2/6/24

[@ronnyron6939]

Sat down at my desk this morning. I like to start my day not working on what I don't love and working on what I do love, bourbon. I subscribe to many different channels, tater hunters hunting tater bottles(which I can't get enough of because who doesn't love watching the 1,954th video of a guy telling the world that Bob's Liquor Store has a bottle of unicorn Blanton's sitting on the shelf for only $76.), bourbon reviewers, Brewzle of course, etc. I just found ADHD Whiskey. It's like I was in a different universe. I watched the video and when I snapped back to realty I thought, "what the hell just happened." I haven't watched any other video yet but had to subscribe. I guess I will go down the ADHD whiskey rabbit hole. Wish me luck?

[@ADHDWhiskey]

Thank you for watching! Things get weird....

[@nefarious_saint]

Watch his 5 bottles of whiskey you need video from Aug 2020. It was the first video of his I watched and subscribed immediately. Haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. Matt is amazing

[@skraegorn7317]

Funny, I’m literally going to Heaven Hill Distillery in a few days. Everything you described sounds like the Evan Williams profile at cask strength, so A124 might not be a bad buy for me since I like Evan Williams BiB and Single Barrel.

[@Andrew-fr3bp]

For the rare times we see ECBP in South Texas and at $79+ tax, I'm no longer in the market for it after it went away from 12 year age stated. Luckily I have a bottle and a 1/2 left of the old stuff. My money will go towards other bottles, like $42 Rare Breed and $47 EHT... I would buy a 12year KC over a ECBP these days and save $25.

[@mickwhiskey7960]

The 2nd Greatest Story Ever Told ! Love it.

[@SRVandDtrouble]

I agree we will see a Whiskey dip in age across the board. The distilleries have been shipping as much product as they could get out the door for the last 5 years at least maybe closer to 10 years so we are hitting the end of those older stocks. However think that in the 2030s we will be well within the whiskey bust and high age statements will be the norm.

[@ezwider4652]

Unfortunately my liver won’t be able to take it by then 😂

[@lonewanderer3603]

You know we're all still going to buy it, just like Cody said.

[@jimidrammer4187]

Glad I'm sitting on 15 bottles of various batches of the 12yo, I had a feeling this day would come. Great call out Matt!

[@chrisadams7037]

I, as well. Their inventory could only last so long.

[@jacksmith2315]

Its not the ECBP tri annual releases that killed the 12yr age statement, its the single barrel program. They started doing way too many 10 and 12 yr store picks that it killed their 12yr and upcoming 12yr stock.

[@FakingANerve]

Here's a wild idea... compare them based on quality instead of age statement? Maybe it's just me.

[@ozo012]

According to a store owner, Heaven Hill has run out of 12 year old juice after C923 so that is likely the reason we are seeing younger barrel proofs (and will for at least some time)

[@johng5710]

☹

[@IvIidnight]

Or, they misjudged how much they needed 12 years ago, saw it coming from a few years away, and phased out the age statement because they didn't have the juice to back it up with.

[@jasono.1629]

This 👆

[@Longenecker1776]

I only got into Bourbon a few years ago, and EC Barrel Proof and Larceny BP are some of my favorites. Also New Riff Barrel Proof.

[@TheMNbassHunter]

I think with so many single barrel store picks available at 8-10 years old, the loss of the 12yr age statement from the A,B,C batches really kills the excitement for them.

[@gobc71]

I love "Story Time with Matt"...best thing on the Tube!

[@jimrubino7300]

Just bought a private barrel bottle and it states it is 9 yr old

[@claytonmitchell5685]

I think I've seen the private barrels be anywhere from 7-10 years. The only bummer to me is when a place is charging $90+ for a 7 or 8 year

​@@claytonmitchell5685private barrel proof picks are anywhere from 8-11 yr barrels. The older EC 94 proof picks could be up to 14-15 yrs . Wish they did those old ones still.

[@huntermcdougal5013]

Yeah store pick single barrels are 8-10 years. And they can be great... Or mehhh

[@jimrubino7300]

Mine is really nutty and hot hopefully it cools down a bit now it is open. Nowhere near the flavor of C923

[@michaellutes2163]

Yes, I bought two private Kroger barrel picks, one at 8 year, 1119.9 proof and one 9 year, 113.8 proof. I wasn't impressed with the neck pours but, as they breathed and my palate adjusted, they were pretty good. I plan to buy at least one more.

[@McCartyCFII]

Maybe they will start adding an age statement to Larceny BP when ECBP gets down to 8 years. 😂

[@eliwilson8242]

This is hilarious 😭😭😭

[@jasono.1629]

😂 that’s exactly what will happen watch

[@MathewSchaffer]

This really bums me out. Makes me even more happy that I found some bottles of C920 sitting on the shelf last year.

[@jasono.1629]

Nice find!

[@williamsedlock3903]

I still have a few cases of the 12-year small batch put up of the old bottling shaped like a barrel those were my favorite ears friend of mine involved with Buffalo Trace at that time had told me some secrets they were doing so I scarfed cases up during times but now since then he has retired😢😢

[@bendeco]

This is pretty much how i train my staff in my line of work. I love it .

[@BourbonSauced]

I bet they go as low as 8yr, as I have noticed even MGP has a shortage on some older barrels for purchase, but hopefully I am wrong.

[@thebigcor]

Heaven Hill does no wrong. I buy it all. sometimes multiples. best juice

[@thelachers]

Blind battle with all your stock of EC! Give the ppl what they are asking for... or at least what I would like to see.

[@BourbonStickTalk]

Per the Code Of Federal Regulations any aging statement on a bottle will reflect the youngest spirit in the product. If it says 12 years then the youngest spirit in the blend is 12 years old.

[@curtboxley7678]

Matt please review this again in a few weeks after it opens up in a few weeks. Let us know if you like it better or not. Cheers

[@daviddickson2126]

My Man!!! Matt you are the funniest SOB I have ever watched. Great review..

[@johng5710]

Glad I have two backup bottles of C923...A22 laser code be damned!

[@umami0247]

Pretty sure it will continue to get younger for years to come. Will it get below 8 years possibly. I’m lucky that EC doesn’t come around my area we only get larceny and I got two of the larceny batches that were hitters. So to each their own. I’m personally okay with the small batch EC. I have Knob creek single barrels that I can get everyday.

[@BB-sc1jv]

Currently still a big fan of Heaven Hill because I have been able to purchase solid bottles over the last several years without the chase and secondary markups. The C923 is excellent and I paid $75. That’s reasonable for a 133 proof with 13 year age statement. I do have concerns going forward though.

[@kpmarine10]

Nailed exactly how I’ve felt. Well done sir. Well done.

[@jeremybamgbade]

Damn I usually love the B-batches. B522 was amazing to me. B523 was also great although both were not better than c922/23

[@natecarlson6283]

“You, Mullet Boy!” LOL

[@tommyrq180]

Don’t blame Cody. He was just the idea guy. The man at the end of the table-there’s your Snidely Whiplash. He tied ECBP to the rails, if you get my drift... 😠

[@sideshowonacid]

The man at the head of the table was named Dwayne Johnson…

[@TheJohnbortle]

Excellent call out Porter!

[@tracybrewer9921]

I snagged this yesterday after saying I would not. I cracked it open and compared it to that other sub 12yo ECBP B523. This A124 is better, not close.

[@nateduncan9182]

You always make me laugh thanks Matt.

[@jacksmith2315]

I think this batch is all 10yr juice. I seen a video that seemed to be a reliable source that said the reason heaven hill stopped the 12yr age statement is because they ran out of 12yr juice. The c923 is the end of anything 12+ for awhile. The EC barrel picks with 12+ juice was so popular they sold too much of it before they started to save it. Im sure anything 15+ yrs will be saved for the EC 18. So yea, its going to be a little while before they have anymore ECBP 12yr+.

[@link1ater]

Heaven hill 7 year BiB is still $30 at my local Sam’s club

[@johncannon3593]

To be fair, 12 years doesn't automatically make it better. My local store got an 8 year single barrel and I've bought several bottles because it is better than any of the ECBPs I've had since C920.

[@ericsawyer2995]

The first 7 minutes of the video is GOLD!

[@TravisB7299]

All the private barrel/store picks I've seen have been around 9 years old and 90 each. Always passed on them. I agree Matt, they could slowly lower it to a new normal 😢 I still find it strange they would remove the age statement and release even lower aged batches though. What does HH have to compete with RR13 or other allocated releases? As a WT fan I know I'm not going to find or win my ABC lottery for a RR13 but I could still luck into a ECBP but now not sure with going to be worth the hunt.

[@kevinandersen7858]

World Record for the world's longest swirl j now belongs to ADHD Whiskey

[@numanuma20]

I think Elijah Craig may have convinced me as a Scotch guy that bourbon is good.

[@VonHanzee]

Oh how do you even kneel to these heathens being such a man of dignity, "Scotch guy".

[@BourbonInhibitions]

If you're a "scotch guy" you're in no position to say what's good.

[@mcw2553]

@@BourbonInhibitions No need to be a d*ck . What did you get in your bourbon this time. Lemme guess: vanilla, caramel, char? Huge range of flavour there.

[@sorinsrn5442]

​@@BourbonInhibitions why not? Becouse you say so?

[@993C2S]

Great one. Have you done one on B524 to compare?

[@ezwider4652]

Too bad, but I don't think they are the first to pull this kind of act. Brown Foreman comes to mind. This stuff is allocated and about $80. You are saying this is worth $80?

[@elliotgentry880]

🤣 one of your funnier reviews in a while. Hard pass on a124, doubled down on c923 so I’m good

[@beamer6136]

Have you ever used drop of water in the bourbon from its area. I heard it brings out a lot of different characteristics

[@Joser167]

Little Cody should have gotten a raise.

[@RuckusOutfitters]

the problem I’m seeing is local grocery stores aren’t ordering or putting out any new batches because they aren’t moving the current batch they have on their shelves. Stores in WA are stacked with B523 still.

[@DaveNorton-yi5ix]

Same here ... we have the three tier system in my state, so its hard to tell if it is just the local store not ordering new because the B523 is just sitting there, or if the middle man is holding back on them. Maybe its both ... in any case, I've yet to lay eyes on a C923. The infuriating part is that up until C923, every ECBP that came out was a shelfer here.

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

​@@DaveNorton-yi5ixit's the middle man holding back. Because of increased demand, that changes the allocation and selected locations get the priority. One of my local stores was trying to get more and they were denied, whereas in the past they could.

[@DaveNorton-yi5ix]

@@BigBadJerryRogers I don't doubt you're right on the mark.

[@ophidian1965]

Being an older person i wish i would have appreciated bourbon more twenty yeaes ago instead of taking it for granted. Twenty years from now ill be saying i remember 10 year old bourbon abd people will say no way was it $5000 😢

[@CJP-Bourbon]

Fantastic review Matt and when you started spitting bars about the B batch I was rolling. Pure brilliance and time for me to go buy some Fun Dip

[@OZtheShark]

They did the same thing with Evan Williams! No line of whiskey at Heaven Hill is safe!

[@bobbalkovec]

ECBP used to be the go to...seems like they have tailed off in quality as of late.

[@FakingANerve]

Um... the C923, the last release, was wildly considered the best in many years. 🤨

[@David-Shropshire]

The longest villain monologue ever...😂

[@mrpapinchock]

Cody’s always have good ideas.

[@jesseobrien973]

I'm going to stock up on the older batches

[@johng5710]

Good luck finding them

[@hollywoodmarine8828]

Wait, before you go…what’s the laser code on the back. That’s the big fiasco for the C923.

[@francisrizzo1529]

"like the best Mother-in-Law, can't hide the nuttiness forever." I just spit my drink all over my laptop, thanks WTWT! PS - the tootsie-roll pallet note might be the most perfect description of ECBP I've ever heard, I've been trying to figure out that "I know what this is but can't name it" tasting note for like a year now.

[@bigdave2952]

Best line ever, “mother in law can’t hide their nuttiness forever “ 😂😂😂

[@travisrobeson306]

100% Agree. Hopefully we are wrong.

[@Condor987]

I’ve just full-on stopped caring about ECBP, private or batch. I have to let my money do the talking. Unfortunately I think the hype over the good-old-batches lingers enough that they still sell out. Only way HH changes their downward trend is if we hit them in the wallet, which won’t happen in this market. It’s so frustrating.

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

Yeah everyone was super pissed when their small batch stopped being 12 years old. Buuuut time passed and now the garbage they sell as small batch is considered good. With enough time the same thing will happen with the barrel proof and everything else they sell. HH hasn't gotten a cent from me since they ruined the small batch EC.

[@justinafuchs2619]

@@bobbygetsbanned6049 Man, I loved the EC 12 Small Batch, it was great stuff for a fantastic price. I also stopped caring about ECBP, you could see it coming, there were more and more weak batches and you could bet they were going to remove the 12 years. Unfortunately, it won’t bother them. Reading the comments here (“Heaven Hill can’t do wrong”, “I’ll always buy it”) leaves no doubt in my mind people won’t care. They’ll eat it up as always.

[@zachariahzedd8124]

Man.. that A124 batch song was about to be a banger

[@thomasmichael6509]

I think Cody might’ve also been behind them changing their bottles for Elijah Craig to look cleaner and newer and sleeker but simultaneously making the whiskey in the new bottles worse

[@jalee408]

“Then the b batch is gonna be a biatch” - top 5 whiskey quote of the year 2024 contender.

[@xplorojoe2396]

Just got an 11 year single barrel ec (but 94 proof =[), can’t wait to crack it open. Also listened to the Cody story and I can’t tell if that’s true or not lmao very convincing matt!

[@pumpedupdart6859]

I have some single barrel 9 and 10 years that are much better than most of the batched releases, but I've also tried some that weren't great. Single barrels are a crap shoot.

[@HisDadsBar]

I was feeling exactly the same way about this. I enjoy the single barrel, I almost lost faith in the small batch. Almost. Not a super fan of the b-I-b. Love your show Matt

[@dadafikit9759]

Good review Matt! Thanks!

[@codyowen2492]

Cody here, I can attest this is how it went down

[@krischaney9034]

Great work, Porter. A total bummer across the board, this new turn of events.

[@Race_Fans_United]

Dude, I missed ya!! 😂 Great video!!

[@jimmyc5050]

Love the "tootsie roll" descriptor....need to remember that one and will give you FULL CRED...haha

[@scoobtoober2975]

Matt i know you've been at it for a good bit now. Some tips from a man on an island in the middle of nowhere. Get 2% iodine, amazon 10mg 6-8 drops. Eat once a day. Eat butter first, lots or even whole sticks. Or just don't eat at all. Be well. We need to be metabolically flexible. Never ever eat seed oils, olive oil, coconut oil. If you are desperate to keep getting the fat off. Eat fat to loose fat.

[@paradiswest4395]

Matt, you just talked for 8 minutes and 8 seconds with only taking one breath until you took your first sip. I thought the only person capable of that was my wife. Cheers.

[@jeffschmidt4102]

This was completely interesting and funny. I really enjoyed this review. Thank you

[@scoobtoober2975]

Daddy tell me story time again. I'm too deep into rebel 100 for it's immense value and ease of availability. I'm not looking for ECBPSB

[@systemtrend3194]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a 7-8yr ECBP by the end of 2025.

[@ramackay]

The mother in law joke had me doubled over laughing.

[@BrianVaughn]

I'm looking forward to picking this one up. My expectations have been tempered.

[@thgrimlord]

I really love their 8 year

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

I like the story, 12 year old Elijah Craig small batch was my favorite whiskey. When they changed it I bought a bottle fully expecting to not notice the difference and wow was I wrong, it was horrible! Everyone hated it, but as time passed people forgot how good it used to be and started to say it's good again. You nailed their strategy, and I refuse to give a company my money that willing ruins the quality of their whiskey.

[@johng5710]

The demand is so much higher now, this was bound to happen

[@jasono.1629]

You nailed it Matt! I foresaw all this when the weak A121 came out. B521 then just confirmed it. I hunted for and stocked up on B517 thru C920 from low-key liquor stores during 2021-23 in anticipation.

[@SRVandDtrouble]

How many were you able to bunker?

[@jasono.1629]

@@SRVandDtrouble 13 bottles so far. A mix of different batches, B517, C917, A118, C918, B519, B520, C920 etc. and a few others. I have duplicates of a few. Funny thing is I found them all on the shelf years after they came out. In 2021, 2022 and first half of 2023. People don’t really blind hunt for bourbon in forgotten liquor stores anymore, I think I’m one of the few who still does this. I will never have to buy a current ECBP batch nor Sib ever again. But i will enjoy watching all the quality-drop drama unfold 😂.

[@jasoncoates1835]

Why would anyone be reluctant to buy the single barrels? They were never a new "ECBP Single Barrel" product, they were simply the option to not have your pick from the existing single barrel program proofed down to 94. It was more of an upgrade, not a conspiracy. I swear, bourbon people...

[@jimmygr720]

Everyone making a big deal and hunting OF 124 that is 10 year and only 100 proof at $120. I'll keep buying the ECSB at $70 all day with no complaints.

[@adamizer85]

Yo, random question.. Whats the name of the song in the background? A couple other channels also use it, and i find it oddly soothing lol. Any help appreciated.

[@꺼야]

재미있는 영상 잘봤네요 버번에 입문하게되어서 우연히 ecbp에 대한 이야기를 듣고 한국에서 직구로 구입할려고 했는데 영상을 보고 b523을 주문했습니다. 다음에도 좋은영상 기대하겠습니다. 아 그리고 당신이 생각하는 이 버번은 마셔봐야되 또는 이 버번은 맛있다고 생각하는게 있으면 공유좀 부탁드립니다.

[@jimmiceli9283]

Just bought a new EC barrel proof in St Pete last week. 8yr age statement. Didn't taste it yet. $119. Probably a dumb buy.

[@chilibowl65]

Some those that are “store picks” are great. Hopefully you got a good one.

[@jimmiceli9283]

@@chilibowl65 Still too much for an 8yr - but thats a local retailer's price.

[@johng5710]

Yeah $119 is too high for that, hope it is good

[@4Realzeaz]

I get a strong grassy, earthy note. The private barrels I've had this year are better.

[@jacksmith2315]

At the beginning, you said we have no one to blame but ourselves that ecbp is no longer 12yr, but everything you said, says we had nothing to do with it and its all HH's fault its no longer 12yr...well...cody's fault, lol, but definitely not ours

[@jacksmith2315]

Im not a fan of this batch at all. I think its the worst not only ecbp release ive had, but ec release im general. When i heard it was off profile, i thought i was going to like it because im typically not an ec fan, except for the store picks that are off profile/dont have the nutty note. The one pour ive had of this, i didnt get the typical nutty note, but i pretty much got straight pepper. Kinda surprised you got the nuttiness but not the pepper since the pepper is super overwhelming