Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B522

Pungent nose is equal parts sweet, nutty, and woody with praline, peanut shell, rich oak, cashew, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Ethanol lets you know it’s barrel proof, but is acceptably low overall. On the palate this is a “sweet forward” ECBP release; vanilla, toffee, and caramel from the nose along with marshmallow, black cherry, cinnamon roll, and red delicious apple. Flavors are rich and punchy as expected. Lengthy finish brings some nice balancing spice in the form of cinnamon and nutmeg, along with peanut brittle, oak, tobacco, and ginger. Black cherry from the palate lingers long after everything else fades, which is a delight. Mouthfeel is nicely slick and oily, but only medium-bodied where this cries out for a thicker, chewier feel. Minor flaw. Nice to see an ECBP which leans toward the sweeter side.. The bottom line here is that these releases tend to offer a top notch experience at a reasonable price point and this is no exception. At $89.99, the rebuy factor is a “duh” (not like I will find another bottle but let’s pretend)