Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch A121

Open 2 weeks Nose - Toasted peanuts and almonds, caramel, chocolate covered cherries, citrus rind, cinnamon, medium ethanol. Palate - Both light and oily when it first hits the tongue, if that makes sense. Flavors are lacking at first, I only get hints of caramel, almonds, and chocolate. That sounds like a standard combination in a brittle, fudge, or ice cream. The finish makes up for the lack of diversity on the palate. It is long, oily, and viscous, with sweet oak, cinnamon, orange zest, cocoa, and dried cherries. Ethanol is light and manageable. I look forward to the triannual release of ECBP more than any other whiskey at this point. Unfortunately, the price has gone up $10 in 2021, making this a $70 buy in NC. Despite the price increase, it still ranks among the best values in bourbon. The A121 is a middle of the road ECBP release compared to the last 3 years. It is not close to standouts like C919 and B520, but it is not a dud like B519. It will satisfy most ECBP fans without blowing them away. Some flavors more pronounced in A121 compared to prior batches are nuts and citrus. Otherwise, you'll recognize many of the same flavors typical for ECBP.

Nose: cinnamon, nutty, boozy chocolate Taste: sweet fruit (green apple? Cherry?) quickly swallowed by spicy caramel and sweet cream Heat: strong up front, sustains well after Not for the faint of heart. Strongly spicy and packed with tangy sweetness. The nose is particularly fun 3/11/21: nose is peppery fire, sunflower seeds, then chocolate, warmed butter. Taste - acidic fruitiness, late oaky but not bitter. The heat on this is incredible. A full swig might singe my taste buds. It is bold, nearing on domineering. Two drops of water cools it down a bit, brings out some buttery flavors, remains with some fruity apple/orange peel flavor. Just a bit more bitter oaky end. This may be the sweet spot. 4/4/21: finished the night with this. Just a spice bomb backup up with sweet cinnamon. Bold as hell, even with a couple drops of water.

With no ice to much heat for me but it’s also my first barrel proof. 1 ice cube made it infinitely better for me