The father of bourbon's name, still earning it. Shop Elijah Craig online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — Heaven Hill's flagship line from everyday Small Batch to the thrice-yearly Barrel Proof drops, all available to order online.
Related collections: Bourbon Whiskey | Rye Whiskey | Buffalo Trace | Rare & Top Shelf
Charring the Barrel, Changing Bourbon
Elijah Craig honors the Reverend Elijah Craig, the Baptist preacher and distiller of early Kentucky who is often credited — legend says after a barn fire charred his barrels — with discovering what charred oak does to corn whiskey. Whether history or tall tale, the brand carrying his name has become Heaven Hill's standard-bearer. The Small Batch is the everyday anchor: 94 proof, all vanilla, caramel, and warm oak. Collectors, though, organize their year around Barrel Proof — uncut, unfiltered batches released three times annually (look for the lettered batch codes, like C923) that regularly rank among the best bourbons sold at any price. The range keeps branching: Toasted Barrel, finished in custom-toasted oak for a marshmallow-and-chocolate depth; a proper Straight Rye; and the rare 18 Year Single Barrel, among the oldest releases in the Heaven Hill portfolio.
Barrel Proof batches are dated, numbered, and gone fast. This page is where each new one surfaces.
Order Elijah Craig online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — barrel proof drops included, while they last.
Elijah Craig FAQs
Was Elijah Craig really the father of bourbon?
He is popularly credited with first aging corn whiskey in charred oak barrels in the late 1700s. Historians debate the details — charring likely evolved across many distillers — but Craig was a genuine pioneer of Kentucky bourbon.
What do the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch codes mean?
The letter marks the release within the year (A, B, or C) and the numbers give the month and year — so C923 is the third release, bottled in September 2023. Each batch differs slightly in proof and character.
Elijah Craig Small Batch or Barrel Proof?
Small Batch is the smooth, 94-proof everyday sipper. Barrel Proof is the same family recipe at full cask strength — bigger, hotter, more intense, and released in limited batches a few times a year.