Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B520

Chocolate, vanilla, oak, baking spices, plum, extremely viscous, sits on the palate long after the sip.

Vanilla bean and burnt oak char on the nose. The palate is bursting with flavors of apple pie, caramel candies and spices. The finish is just as big and long. This is definitely 63% abv and the oak is more forward than other Elijah Craig barrel proof batches I’ve had in the past. This one stands out nicely.

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.

Nice and sweet with a complex flavor profile. Definitely does not drink like a barrel proof.