Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B521

This is my first ECBP and was not disappointed. Sweet and caramel, rich and oak, smooth and satisfying. No burn at all.

Nice burn with the high proof - 87

Roxanne: first sniff, damn…this is going to be strong. first sip, neat. Oh my god it burns. I have tingles everywhere, even on my scalp and I can feel the fire trail as it goes down. This is good! Second sip, few drops of water. Holy shit this is good. It’s like drinking a ball of fire drizzled with caramel. Third sip, on an ice ball. Holy fuck. This is delicious! YUM! Tom: Strong. Like a gym teacher that still thinks he can wrestle for a state championship. But smooth like that kid in high school with the perfect mullet and the Trans Am. Get some if you can. Roxanne #2: I say yummy after every sip. Also, I want to mention when Tom took his first neat sip, he winced and grimaced. He likes it with the ice balls.

I really like this one. Getting a bit more quintessential bourbon notes than the A121 - caramel, chocoloate, richness.

Open 2 weeks Nose - Brown sugar, light orange peel, cinnamon, vanilla extract, clove, and light ethanol. Palate - Rich brown sugar and caramel, crème brulee, hint of cherries and oranges, short front palate overall. It transitions quickly to a hot finish, combination of baking spices, oak, and ethanol. But it's not a long finish, just hot. This is one of my least favorite releases of the last 3 years, only slightly better than B519. It isn't complex, and finishes a lot hotter than expected. So far I've been disappointed in the combination of ECBP price increase and their 2021 releases, hopefully their C921 knocks my socks off.