Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch A120

Incredibly smooth for a 136.6 proof heavy hitter!

Can’t believe I forgot to rate this one individually. This was one that I was excited for but let down. As a huge ECBP fan the proof was really high and I was scared and for rightful reason. This one is a hot mofo!! Good/great flavors but needs to be about 10-15 pts lower on the proof scale to really be enjoyable. Add some ice and you really get the oak and char out of it. Very nice strong flavors from the barrels. My rating is based on this neat. If I were to rate it on a large cube of ice it would be closer to a 4.25 ⭐️ I love the variation of all the Elijah seasonal barrel proofs but this one didn’t hit all the marks for me when drinking beat which is how I rate them and “prefer” to drink them. B520 still has my heart as best batch ever though. 9/1/22

👃: For potentially the highest proof whiskey I've ever tasted, the alcohol isn't overpowering. I had a glass of Stag Jr (at a lower proof) earlier, and this is so much more... pleasant. 👄: Obviously high proof, but actually manageable neat in small sips. Lots of fruit. Dry tobacco. I'm getting... rose petals? A little distilled water reveals more cherry and caramel. 🏁: Cherry and caramel come through, but the oaky notes dominate. Again, this is a spicy one, but try adding a splash of water to make it more accessible if necessary.

Rating: 19/23 N: Surprisingly musty, like damp cardboard. A bit of bitter smoke, but also some sweetness with sour mash, anise, and a hint of tangerine peel. The sweetness gives me a Blanton's vibe with that sort of light caramel and the tangerine. There's an interesting little twist with how the tangerine and anise mix with the fairly mature wood, spices, and light herbs. In the spice department, I get rich black pepper and a hint of chili. A touch vegetal eventually, which I'm not keen on, but I can live with. P: Rich wood with a bit of polish. Bittersweet chocolate and possible hints of creosote. Spices and some definite bitterness. I get a low peppery burn, but it's under control. Hints of black licorice. Vanilla at times, but it doesn't really add a sweetness here. A bit of ginger as well. Some alcohol burn, but not too much. F: A bit of something odd that veers toward metallic (copper) in here, but it's mostly OK. That's honestly not a huge part of the character here. Some bitter wood with a hint of creosote perhaps. Not a lot going on here. - Conclusion - Of all of the samples I've tried, this seems like the closest competitor for my neck pour of Elijah Craig A121. This is more bitter and funky, but it does have some more complexity. The A121 isn't as metallic, but it definitely isn't as bold either. They're not super far apart, but the smoothness and decadence of the A121 really do crush this. I would definitely take this over Elijah Craig B519 (18/23). That one just had too much alcohol bite and wasn't full enough. Resilient 15 (18/23) isn't quite as full as this and it has more of a mineral quality that makes it thinner throughout. I like the flavor here better and it holds its fullness more. Old Forester 1920 (18/23)? Sweeter with more banana, but also thinner. Not super complex either. Even though this is a lot hotter, this definitely wins. The polished wood and fudge here are really nice. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18-29/23) is tarter with more fruit, alcohol, and sour mash, but it's still comparatively full. I find it difficult to choose between the two. This certainly burns more as well. Based on what I've tasted so far, I am thinking that this is in the 19 to 21 range, with that 21 seeming unlikely. 1792 Full Proof (19/23) is smoother, but also thinner. It certainly isn't more interesting either. I am inclined to give the win to this, but the two aren't that far apart. Since I normally think of the 1792 as a kind of low 19 and this was also not definitely better than the Wild Turkey, I think that a 19 is the most appropriate score. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21/23) is certainly more viscous and decadent than this is. It's a little smoother, but this is more interesting, while remaining tasty. I think that the Jack Daniel's isn't way better than this, but I would give it the win. I wasn't all that sure, but then the heat really came out here and sealed the deal. I'm definitely in the 19 to 20 range here. I was just thinking that I would take this over the Wild Turkey and 1792, but then the finish hit and it was kind of rough. I was about to give this a 20, but I think I'm settling on a 19. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for this one as well! A very tasty dram :)

Slowly gonna work through my various ECBPs for ratings - tonight I randomly pulled down the A120...didn't look at which one until after I poured the glass, nosed it, and sipped it, and let's just say I wasn't surprised to see this was on the higher end of the proof scale. Nose is vocal...screaming spice and heat, but some subtle youthful fruit notes. Flavor is surprisingly drinkable at proof, though probably not for a newer bourbon sipper, as this would have simply come across as hot in my earlier days. The sweet brown sugar notes were immediately evident, but there's some cinnamon, barrel spice, wood, hints of vanilla, and more fruit. Quite good, but admittedly this is calling for a bit of water to open it up...so here we go... About 4-5 drops of water opens up the nose immensely...not necessarily releasing anything that was previously hidden, but just amps up the vibrancy. Cherry and apple notes are evident. Flavor softens up and makes this more approachable, but the brown sugar, oak, and spice are there...and this is unmistakably EC at the core. A very nice pour, but can also say this is far from the best of the ECBP series...just gotta get to some other rates down the road!