Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B520

Honey

Nose: I immediately whistled - this is what you want from a cask-strength bourbon. Classic notes turned up to 11. Charred oak, vanilla, more caramel than brown sugar, though there's some molasses floating around in there. Black pepper and smoke. Rich chocolate, leather, and mildly aromatic pipe tobacco. Creme brulee. Star anise, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon. Strawberry, banana, mango. This doesn't nose like the proof would suggest - it's still intense, mind, just not throwing me around as much as I was expecting. Cherries, roasted nuts. Sandalwood and citrus. Some buried rosemary and thyme are in there, too. Palate: It's all there - vanilla, caramel, charred oak. Moderately dark chocolate. Barrel bite and tannin, though not much bitterness, probably because of the intense rush of flavors in the glass. Clover, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, smoked paprika. Proof is absolutely evident on the palate with a quick kentucky chew really kicking things into high gear. German salty licorice is in the back palate, though still cohesive with the rest of the profile. Persimmon, under-ripe banana. Faint toasted cumin coming through. Well balanced overall, filling the lower, middle, and upper palate pretty well. Medium mouthfeel, with solid oil content. Finish: Big, bright, effervescent ethanol, black pepper, chipotle chili powder, charred oak, vanilla extract, and nearly burned caramel. The end. Just kidding. Though the proof is at almost mouth-numbing levels, there's an almosth menthol/phenol character coming through as a result. Wintergreen, too. Slowly we get some fruit characteristics - think more sweet, less acidic like banana, mango, over-ripe strawberry, etc. All the while, the ethanol is dying down. Eventually we have this lightly minty vanilla whipped cream on bitter chocolate ice cream with roasted peanuts. Those all slowly fade out, leaving you with textbook bourbon flavors. Medium-long finish. Other notes: Save for Larceny, there isn't a single Heaven Hill product I've had that hasn't genuinely impressed me, though even Larceny is well-executed. If the next ECBP edition I get my hands on lives up to these last two, it'll join the ranks of my favorite high-proof Beam expressions a la Booker's and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 9 year, as well as favorites like Weller Antique 107 and Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Batch Proof. Bulleit Barrel Strength fits this category, too. ECBP is exactly what I want in a high-proof bourbon. More balanced between typical bourbon characteristics than I was expecting, this is a lot of fun while still having a high level of craftsmanship and refinement. Like I recently said about Booker's - I may not always seek out this specific release, though I will definitely try to have an ECBP in my cabinet at all times.

Oak greets you immediately on the nose with vanilla afterwards. This is one spicy mama. The palate is a mix of oak and warm caramel. It is just so rich.

Incredible bourbon. If you want delicious pancakes with butter and syrup but don’t have the time, just drink this.