Elijah Craig 23 Year Prefire Barrel #192 Bottled on 11-11-2016

Elijah Craig 23 Year Prefire Barrel #192, bottled November 11, 2016, is one of the most historically significant releases in American bourbon — a surviving barrel from the legendary Heaven Hill Bardstown distillery fire of November 7, 1996. The "Prefire" designation indicates this bourbon was distilled and barreling before the catastrophic fire that destroyed 90,000 barrels and the production facility itself. At 23 years old when bottled on 11/11/2016, this bourbon was distilled in or before 1993 — making it true pre-fire Heaven Hill distillate that survived the disaster and continued aging for two decades.

The November 7, 1996 Heaven Hill fire is one of the most documented events in bourbon history — burning for a week, destroying 6-7 warehouses, and sending flaming barrels of bourbon rolling down Loretto Road as the bourbon creek caught fire. Barrels that survived became the rarest surviving records of pre-fire Heaven Hill character. Elijah Craig 23 Year releases from this era are among the most sought-after bottles in American whiskey for both their exceptional age and their irreplaceable historical significance.