Tastes

The nose is soft and subtle starting with honeydew, effervescent lemon lime and fallen leaves then cocoa powder dusted golden raisins, charred hay bales and seaside rocky minerality followed by pears, mangoes and charred pineapple that transitions to light baking spices and mild black tea with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits before a mild spice that quickly fades to honeycomb, effervescent lemon lime and leaf mulch then cocoa powder dusted golden raisins, burning hay bales and seaside rocky minerality followed by caramelized pears, mangoes and charred pineapple that transitions to light baking spices and mild black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a mild spice, dark chocolate covered raisins, baked oranges, burning hay bales, seaside rocky minerality and mild black tea. I was a bit skeptical on how the combination of Springbank, Glen Scotia and Kilkerran would turn out, but this one turned out really well with a balanced mix of honeyed citrus fruits, mild peat smoke, light farmyard funk and seaside rocky minerality that is a soft and easy sipping dram that would be perfect for anyone that enjoys the distilleries in Campbeltown. At the MSRP price of around $55, this is an absolute steal if you can find a bottle. Thanks @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample.

The nose is soft starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted sautéed apples, freshly baked pumpernickel bread and dusty barn floors then dark chocolate covered espresso beans, candied pecans and light herbs followed by raspberry sorbet, tangerine orange and caramelized peaches that transitions to spearmint, cloves, anise and polished oak with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted sautéed mangoes, dehydrated apricots, freshly baked pumpernickel bread and dusty barn floors then a mild bitter spice that quickly fades to dark chocolate covered pretzels, espresso, candied pecans and light herbs followed by raspberry sorbet, tangerine orange and caramelized peaches that transitions to charred caraway seeds, light flinty minerality, cloves, anise and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate mocha, candied orange peel, freshly baked pumpernickel bread, anise, light flinty minerality and mildly bitter black tea. This is a really nice easy sipping dram that is well composed with the three grains each providing a different flavor while working cohesively together with a light Texas wood funk in a harmonious balance. My main fault with it is that the flavors are a bit thinner than I prefer and wish they were richer and bolder, but this would still be a dram I’d be more than happy to have time and time again as it’s a balanced, interesting and a unique easy sipper that I think many would be happy with at a very reasonable price of around $60. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous sample.

The last of my Elijah Craig series is from their You Do Bourbon Experience where you get to taste a special batch of Bernheim BP, Larceny BP, ECBP and possibly a premium batch, if you happen to be lucky, that are exclusive to the tour then decide on which batch you’d like to bottle your own of. The day I went, there was unfortunately no premium batch, but the three choices present were all quite delicious with my favorite going to the ECBP batch Y822 which was bottled at 64.6% ABV. The nose is bold and rich starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted vanilla cream puff, caramelized bananas, sautéed cherries and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate ganache, salted pretzels and cigar wrapper followed by apple pie, raspberries and tangerine orange that transitions to spearmint, cloves, anise, and polished antique furniture with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich oily mouthfeel starting with a mix of butterscotch creme brûlée, caramelized bananas, maraschino cherries and dusty leather-bound books then a mild spice that quickly fades to a spicy mocha, toasted marshmallow and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by apple streusel, raspberry jam and tangerine orange that transitions to spearmint, cloves, anise, and polished antique furniture with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with butterscotch pudding, spicy mocha, apple streusel, caramelized bananas, sautéed cherries, cloves, spearmint, dusty leather-bound books and freshly lacquered antique furniture. This is a bold and decadent bourbon treat that is evident right from the start with a nose that draws you in with a perfect balance of creamy sweets, light sourness, mild rye spices and dusty old oak that carries over to the taste with a viscous mouthfeel that stumbles with an ever so slight spice but quickly recovers with the spice fading to allow those rich dense traditional bourbon flavors through and finishes long with a perfect balance of rich creamy sweets, mild spices and well-aged oak that lingers for minutes after each sip. This is by far the best ECBP I’ve ever had and I think this could easily compete with bourbons 2 to 3x its price and win. At the cost of $40 for the tour and $80 to be able to bottle my own bottle of ECBP totaling $120 altogether, this was worth every dollar and is a must do experience that I’d recommend to anyone if they travel to Kentucky.

Next up in my Elijah Craig series is a single barrel pick by Petite Cellars that was aged for 8 years before being bottled at 66.6%. The nose starts with caramelized bananas, sour cherries and light leather then cocoa nibs, toasted hazelnuts and pipe tobacco followed by Granny Smith apple peel, lemon zest and mandarin orange that transitions to ginger, cloves, spearmint and light ashy oak with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to banana runts, cherry cough drops and light leather then dark chocolate covered espresso beans, toasted hazelnuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by Granny Smith apple peel, lemon pith and mandarin orange that transitions to ginger, cloves, spearmint and mildly bitter black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with spicy dark chocolate mocha, caramelized bananas, burnt caraway seeds, sour apple and mildly bitter black tea. Overall, this is an enjoyable dram but the fruits are on the sour side and the balance for me is off with a higher spice than I'd prefer that overpowers much of the flavors on the palate before finishing with a modest spice, sour fruits and mild earthy bitterness. At just 8 years old, this doesn't have those old oak elements that can be found in a good ECBP and isn't nearly as well composed as the ECBP releases. It was still a fun one to experience and see how that distillate has aged after 8 years and I'm sure other single barrel picks could turn out differently, but this likely could have used some more time in the cask to develop more. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the generous sample and all the other samples of the ECBPs to dive into.

The nose is bold and dense starting with powdered sugar dusted banana fritters, Grade A very dark maple syrup, sautéed cherries and vintage antique leather then dark chocolate fudge with toasted hazelnuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by apple pie filling, raspberry jam and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium to full mouthfeel starting with caramelized bananas, sautéed cherries, vanilla creme brûlée and vintage antique leather then a moderate bitter and sour spice that quickly fades to spicy dark chocolate mocha and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by apple pie filling, raspberry jam and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, black pepper, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with a spicy mocha, maraschino cherries, banana fritters, toasted marshmallow, anise, cloves, spearmint, leather and polished mahogany. Dang, this is the best of the series so far! All those traditional bourbon flavors are denser and richer than the other ECBPs and side by side with the previous best of B520, this is the richer and more balanced of the two with a long and lingering finish that just hangs around with a minor spice, creamy citrus and well-aged oak. A huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample.

The nose starts with caramelized bananas, sour cherries, flapjacks cooked in bacon drippings and slightly worn catchers mitt then dark chocolate covered hazelnuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, lemon candy and orange zest followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and mildly bitter black tea with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with caramelized bananas, sour cherries, flapjacks cooked in bacon drippings and slightly worn catchers mitt then a moderate to high bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to a spicy mocha and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, lemon pith and orange peel followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and over-brewed black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a mild black pepper spice, cocoa nibs, sour cherries, lemon zest, cloves, spearmint, leather and ashy oak. Overall, another tasty Elijah Craig release, but a far step down from the B520. The traditional bourbon notes are ramped up by the proof but the fruits are on the sour side along with a bitter black tea note and a rough spice that overwhelms much of the palate and finishes with bitter and sour mix. I tend to be more sensitive toward sour and bitter flavors than most which threw the balance of this one off for me, but I could see someone less prone to those flavors find a lot to like here. A huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample.

The nose is bold and dense starting with bananas foster, cherry pie filling, donuts covered in cinnamon sugar and vintage antique leather then dark chocolate Ferrero Rocher and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, raspberry jam and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with bananas foster, cherry pie filling, donuts covered in cinnamon sugar and vintage antique leather then a moderate bitter and sour spice that quickly fades to dark chocolate covered espresso beans and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, raspberry jam and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, black pepper, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with a mild black pepper spice, cocoa nibs, maraschino cherries, caramelized bananas, anise, cloves, spearmint, leather and polished mahogany. This is a fantastic bourbon that has a similar nose as the A120 with bold and balanced notes of sweet citrus, fried bread, light sourness, dusty old oak and light rye spices but has an additional layer of a creamy fudge note which carries over to the taste and delivers on the balance found on the nose with a mild flaw of a very quick bitter spice that throws it off slightly and finishes long with a balanced mix of lightly spicy earthy elements, creamy fruits and well-aged oak. So far, this has been my favorite of the three Elijah Craig releases I’ve tried and a huge thanks to @ctbeck11 and @ContemplativeFox for sharing this treat with me.

The nose starts with bananas foster, morello cherry jam, deep fried bread covered in cinnamon sugar and vintage antique leather then dark chocolate covered hazelnuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, raspberries and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with bananas foster, morello cherry jam, deep fried bread covered in cinnamon sugar and vintage antique leather then a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to a spicy dark chocolate mocha, toasted marshmallow and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, dehydrated raspberries and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and mildly bitter ashy oak spice with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a moderate black pepper spice, cocoa nibs, caramelized bananas, sour cherries, burnt caraway seeds, pipe tobacco and over-brewed black tea. Another tasty bourbon in this Elijah Craig series that the nose really pulls you in with bold and balanced notes of sweet citrus, fried bread, light sourness, dusty old oak and light rye spices that carries over to the taste but fails to deliver on the balance found on the nose as there's a bitter spice that throws it off before allowing those sweet citrus fruits through and finishes rather bitter and spicy with subtle fruits ever so slightly peeking through. Side by side with B519, this is the clear winner for me as the fruits aren't nearly as sour and the A120 incorporates some enjoyable well-aged oak notes that I didn't find in B519. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the generous sample.

The nose starts with caramelized bananas, stewed sour cherries and flapjacks cooked in bacon drippings then dark chocolate covered hazelnuts and espresso followed by Granny Smith apple peel, lemon zest and mandarin oranges followed by ginger, spearmint, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with caramelized bananas, stewed sour cherries and cinnamon sugar dusted donuts then a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to a spicy mocha and toasted hazelnuts followed by Granny Smith apple peel, sour lemon candy and mandarin orange zest followed by ginger, spearmint, cloves and mildly bitter black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a spicy mocha, orange peel, caramelized bananas, sour cherries, black pepper, burnt caraway seeds and mildly bitter black tea. Overall, I think this is a solid and tasty bourbon that those traditional bourbon flavors are dialed up with that high proof, but the fruits are on the sour side along with a bitter over-brewed black tea note and moderate spice that my palate doesn't particularly care for and takes away from the experience for me. This is the first of my Elijah Craig series and it should be interesting to see how the different batches compare as I make it through them. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the generous sample.

To finish off my Cotswolds series, I have a sample of their distillery exclusive Rum cask single malt that was aged in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks seasoned with Caribbean rum and bottled at 55.6% ABV. The nose starts with bananas foster, passion fruit, mango and light leather then dark chocolate covered espresso beans, pipe tobacco and toasted coconut followed by charred pineapple rings, dehydrated apricots and strawberry jam that transitions to light baking spices and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits before a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to plantain chips, grapefruit and mango then a spicy mocha, pipe tobacco and toasted coconut followed by charred pineapple rings, dehydrated apricots and tart cherries that transitions to light baking spices, moderate black pepper and over-brewed black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with plantain chips, charred pineapple rings, tart cherries, cocoa nibs, moderate black pepper and over-brewed black tea. I saved this one for last as I’m normally a huge fan of rum flavors and thought the combination of Cotswolds tropical fruits with a rum influence would create an intense and rich tropical fruit dram with light red berries from the wine casks, but instead of a creamy sweet dram this leans more into a sour and astringent flavor profile along with a moderate spice and finishes rather tart and bitter. Overall, still a tasty dram but didn't turn out to be my favorite of the series and instead turned out to be a tie between the Founders Choice and the Peated cask.