Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.

Do you remember the first time you drank Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye? I sure do, because it was real and spectacular. The Heaven Hill brand introduced its first barrel-proof rye last September, and at 12 years old and 108 proof, it knocked it out of the park in terms of age and strength—not too old, not too hot. Well, the second release, the first of this new year, has arrived, and this one is nearly as old and quote a bit higher in proof—and I’m happy to report that it might be even better than the first.

If you follow this column, you will know that I am, generally speaking, not the biggest fan of really high-ABV cask-strength whiskeys. Anything over about 128 proof and you start to lose me, as the alcohol and burn starts to dominate any other flavors on the palate. Of course, there are exceptions, and there are plenty of people chasing higher and higher levels of burn. Personally, I don’t want to drink Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill or A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength that have entered hazmat territory (over 140 proof). But give me a nice mid-120s Booker’s or a Michter’s Barrel Strength that clocks in around 110 proof, and I’m a happy drinker.

The first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye was bottled at 108 proof, a perfectly reasonable and graceful level of alcohol for an American whiskey. This new release, A126 (meaning the first release, January of 2026) was bottled at 120.4 proof, but that marked elevation in strength has actually helped and not hindered the whiskey. The age statement, which will vary depending on the release in the same way it now does for the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon, is 11 years and 11 months, just short of the 12 years and three months of the first batch (really a negligible difference). And the mashbill remains the same “just legal” (people used to call it “barely legal,” but that’s kind of gross) Kentucky style recipe that Heaven Hill uses for all of its rye whiskey—51 percent rye, 35 percent corn, and 14 percent malted barley. The whiskey is non-chill filtered.

This is a rye whiskey I want to sip neat or over a big, beautiful ice cube, but it’s one that I would also use in a Manhattan—give it a nice 30 second stir and it will dilute down to a level that works well in any cocktail. All the classic rye notes are there, combining sweeter elements like vanilla, maple, and honey with notes of black pepper, dried fruit, cinnamon, and some grape Jolly Rancher. There’s a bit of heat on the finish, but it’s a liquid blanket coating the back of your throat and nothing that will make you do a spit take. If you liked the first release, I dare say there’s a good chance you will like this one even more, and it just leaves me looking forward to seeing how the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye lineup will continue to evolve as new batches arrive (and, hopefully, no hazmats).

Score: 93