Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Wooden Cork Barrel Select 128.8 Proof

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Wooden Cork Barrel Select 128.8 Proof. Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky — a single barrel of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof hand-selected exclusively for Wooden Cork, aged 9 years in new charred American oak and bottled at 128.8 proof — one of the highest-proof Wooden Cork barrel selections in the Elijah Craig program — without water reduction or chill filtration.

At 128.8 proof, this Wooden Cork barrel selection sits at the upper range of the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof program's typical proof spectrum. The higher proof reflects a barrel with exceptional concentration from 9 years in Heaven Hill's rick houses — less angel's share evaporation relative to the proof increase suggests a barrel that retained its alcohol content while concentrating its flavor compounds through repeated seasonal heat cycling on the upper rick house floors.

Wooden Cork's selection process for this barrel followed the same approach as every private barrel selection: our team evaluated multiple candidate barrels from Heaven Hill's aging inventory and selected this specific cask based on its proof, flavor, and overall quality. The 128.8 proof and 9-year age combination we chose represents the highest-proof expression in our Elijah Craig barrel selection portfolio — for those who want maximum intensity from the Wooden Cork / Heaven Hill partnership, this is it.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Intensely concentrated caramel, dark fruit, and toasted oak at 128.8 proof. The 9-year aging and high proof create an aromatic profile that opens dramatically with a few minutes of air. Rich, complex, and assertive.
• Palate: The highest-proof Wooden Cork barrel selection delivers the fullest weight and deepest complexity in the series — concentrated caramel, vanilla, dark oak tannin, baking spice, and dried fruit at full cask intensity. Water is recommended but not required.
• Finish: Extended and warming. The 128.8 proof and 9-year combination creates a finish that sustains longer than any lower-proof expression in the Wooden Cork EC barrel series.

Specs

• Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Selection: Wooden Cork Barrel Select
• Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley
• Age: 9 years
• ABV: 64.4% (128.8 Proof)
• Filtration: Non-chill filtered; no water reduction
• Size: 750ml
• Availability: Exclusively at Wooden Cork

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is this the highest-proof Wooden Cork EC barrel selection? Proof in single barrel bourbon varies based on the specific barrel's evaporative history over aging. A barrel at 128.8 proof after 9 years retained more alcohol concentration than lower-proof selections of similar age. Wooden Cork selected this barrel specifically because the combination of high proof, 9-year depth, and flavor quality represented the most intense expression in the candidate barrels we evaluated.
• Should I add water to 128.8 proof bourbon? It depends on preference. Neat in a tasting glass with a few minutes of air reveals the full concentrated aromatic profile first. Adding 5–10% water then opens additional fruit and floral notes that the extreme proof compresses. Both approaches are valid — try neat first, then experiment with water.
• How does 128.8 Proof compare to the other Wooden Cork EC barrel selections? This is the highest-proof barrel in the Wooden Cork EC series. At 9 years and 128.8 proof it delivers maximum intensity — more concentrated and assertive than the 125.6 (9yr), 125.4 (8yr), 124.8 (8yr), and 118.2 (9yr) selections. For those who want the most from the program, this barrel is the ceiling.