Elijah Craig 12yr - Pre-11/96 or Post-11/96

[BunkerBooze]

Hello All:

I have a few bottls of Elijah Craig 12yr old in my bunker that I bought a year ago or so. Is there a way to determine if my EC12 bottles were made before the great Heaven Hill Fire (in late '96)? I can't find any significant differences or markings between my bottles and the current stuff that I find at my local retailer.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
BunkerBooze

[Gillman]

Look at the embossing on the base of the bottle, sometimes there are two digits that indicate the year the bottle was struck and likely filled and issued.

Anything before 96 would suggest distillation at the distillery which burned in that year. Anything after but before 2000, would suggest it was distilled at Jim Beam which was borrowed by Heaven Hill (using its own yeast and mash) to make whiskey until new Bernheim got going.

However, in 1996, whiskey was distilled by HH at the old and Beam facilities, and ditto '99. There are those on this board who know relevant dates in those years, but you could not tell (I believe) from bottle markings.

Still, as I say your bottles may indicate embossing which does give you a clear answer.

Now, how about a taste note?

Gary

[BunkerBooze]

thanks gary.

i'll let you know on the taste notes when i crack open the bottles. hopefully soon!!!

[BunkerBooze]

I just checked at the bottom of my EC12 bottles. There was a marking on some of the bottles that say "06" and others stateing "07". I assume that they were bottled in 2006 and 2007 respectively. This being the case, I also assume that the EC12 were made at the HH distillery (1994 and 1995).

Are my assumptions correct?