Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch A121

This is a great bourbon after it has a chance to open up. It has a hit of a coffee and caramel scent. The front starts off with the sweet warm caramel mixed with apple notes. The middle yields a warm caramel and vanilla taste. It follows through with a bit of sweet vanilla and coffee and caramel heat, but it’s very smooth throughout. Definitely different and better than regular Elijah Craig, which has its own good qualities as well.

Burnt coffee cake with a molasses drizzle After a few weeks moved up to a 4 (from 3.75) but the char is so present it taste like the filtered with their hands

Nose is somewhat subdued for ECBP, but still very potent. French vanilla, green apple, browned butter, brown sugar, marzipan, and sweet wet oak. Lots going on here, and it comes together nicely. Some ethanol, but it’s not terribly prevalent. Palate: wow this is a lot brighter and nuttier than most ECBP releases. Toffee, leather, and lots of apple upfront. Peanut shell, almond, and caramel in the mid-palate. There’s vanilla underneath but you almost have to hunt for it. Also some generic citrus (lime if I was forced to identity it at gun point) which is a little odd for what I’m used to from this series. Finish gets more toasted notes; roasted nuts, toasted bread, pink peppercorn, and a heavy charred oak presence. Finish is appropriately long, which is as to be expected from this series. Mouthfeel is medium boded, and definitely less chewy than previous releases. Ethanol tingle on the tongue remains once the flavors fade. Usually I consider ECBP to be a completely different animal from the standard 94 proof offering, but this batch is closest to “a higher proof small batch”. Not my favorite batch but still a fine whiskey and at $70, a great value. Not every batch has to be the “best batch”. I will always buy ECBP releases even if they occasionally slightly miss the mark.