Heaven Hill has notched another acclaim to its belt with the naming of one of its bourbons as the top whiskey of 2017.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B517 was ranked No. 1 of Whisky Advocate’s “Top Whiskies of 2017.”

“Elijah Craig is an essential part of American Whiskey’s history, and we’re proud to embrace that legacy,” Master Distiller Denny Potter said in a release from the company announcing the honor. “As a nurturer of storied brands, Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit for more than 81 years.”

The straight bourbon is a 12-year-old small batch barreled at full-barrel proof, meaning no water is added before it goes into the bottle.

It is batched three times a year, and the batch that won the top spot was B517. The first number represents the month it was bottled and the last two the year, meaning the batch tasted for the award was bottled in May 2017. Whisky Advocate’s tasters rated it a 94, but in its review noted that the previous batch, A117, also rated 94, “suggesting Elijah Craig is capable of impressive consistency.”

A bottle retails for about $60.

“Pitted blind against pricier competition from the U.S. and the world, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof held its ground again and again,” Advocate wrote.

It described its taste as “a massive mouthful of incredibly robust flavors that drape leathery oak over a gooey caramel core, sprinkled with baking spice, while candied nuts and tobacco leaf notes appear on a drying finish dusted with cocoa.”

Elijah Craig was one of only two bourbons among the top 10. Coming in at No. 3 was Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep Decades, which retails for $150 a bottle.

Buying guide review for Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 “is not simply a collection of our highest-rated whiskies” it notes, although only those that score at least 90 on its tasting scale are considered. Many whiskies “are so limited they would be impossible for most readers to locate or purchase.”

Therefore, the magazine also factors in value (based on price) and availability. They are blind taste-tested by an international panel of reviewers.

This week’s announcement is just the latest accolade for Elijah Craig’s barrel-proof iteration. It has been awarded “Double gold medal” at the San Francisco World Spirits competition, “Extraordinary/Ultimate Recommendation” in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and “Best Bourbon/Best Brown Spirit” at the WSWA Spirit Tasting Competition.

While the batch that won the most recent award was 124 proof, the alcohol by volume varies from batch to batch because no water is used to cut the product.

Read more at source Kentucky New Era