Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B523

Very nice and tasty. Drinks so well for the high proof

Leather, spice, toffee. By far not the best ECBP expression but I will give the benefit of the doubt here. Very few notes here up front and on the finish. Smooth but nothing really going on.

The first ECBP to feature less than a 12yr age statement and a pretty low proof to boot; how will this measure up? Nose offers some standard vanilla/caramel along with cedar, apple, orange peel, cinnamon, spun sugar, nutmeg, and hay/grass. Ethanol was quite pesky, detracting a bit from the experience. Palate offers some immediate tannic oak followed by cinnamon bear candy, nutmeg, caramel dipped green apple, subtle vanilla, golden raisin, and cherry. Not a lot of mid-palate action going on here; everything comes quick and at the very front of the tongue. Finish is very long and bitter dry oak along and more spices adding allspice and clove to the cinnamon and nutmeg from the nose/palate along black pepper, lime, chili pepper, and a hint of peppermint. Super spicy. It’s not alcohol heat, but the spice just overpowers. Mouthfeel is slick and oily. A more spicy and tannic profile than I am used to from these releases. While it’s certainly a good whiskey, I am missing the sweeter notes present in other releases. Is it the age? The proof? I’m not certain, but I feel this is a sub par release. At 89.99, it’s still merits a 4.0 (which should tell you something about the quality of the series) but just not a top tier release.