Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C917

Heat is there but adding wAter helps lot to release lots of flavour

A little too hot for me, nice flavor but the alcohol overpowers. Still a nice bourbon

At first the nose is sweet nail polish or nail polish remover. The taste is hot cinnamon and alcohol. Once your sinuses and tongue have been sufficiently charred and anesthetized then the second nose and taste reveals oak, maple syrup spices and the usual delicious bourbon flavors. It leaves a singe in the throat and burn on the tongue long after the swallow. I would have scored it higher had it been a lower proof. The flavors are fantastic. The problem is it’s trying to punish me with every swallow. Yes, there can be too much of a good thing.

Overpowering ethanol taste to start but has a nice finish

Nose: Assertive - brown sugar, oak, and vanilla. Plenty of barrel on display here with smoke joining into the mix. Black pepper, orange peel, thyme, and rosemary. As you acclimate to the 131 proof, you start getting peaches, apricots, and strawberries. It's worth noting, however, that while this does indeed have an obviously high-proof nose, it's not as intense as you'd expect. Letting things warm and open up a little you also get banana and roasted peanut. Hot cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise, too. This is exactly what I would expect from a high-octane version of a classic bourbon. Nothing wrong with this at all. Palate: Wallop of oak, hot cinnamon, apricot, char, and brown sugar. Anise and nutmeg are still hanging out. Good tannin, with some barrel bitter joining in. Orange rind and orange bell pepper. Medium mouthfeel. Finish begins with a whole lot of ethanol, cinnamon, nutmeg, and strawberry. As the ethanol slowly turns down, cashews and peanuts come forward, along with cocoa and leather. We then end with the burn, barrel bite and bitter, and some rosemary and anise. Finish here is very long. Other notes: I was gifted this bottle (along with some others) and was very excited to get to try it. This is big, bold, turned-up-to-11 fun. Is this the most complex thing on the market? Hell no. But just like with Stagg Jr., Bulleit Barrel Strength, and Knob Creek Single Barrel, this is the kind of high-octane fun I'm into. And for its style, it's pretty good.

So originally I bought this after having the B517 that won whiskey of the year. That was an amazing drink. When I first opened this it was too hot for me too deal with and kinda got pushed to the back of the cabinet. Well I found it tonight and I gotta tell you it has found life. The nose is packed with caramel and brown sugar. Kinda a cherry pie thing going on. On the palate all the heat is gone with just an intense mouthfeel. Not in a bad way but just exploding with flavor. Intense oak and vanilla. Finish is long now with more oak and cinnamon. I’m very glad I went back to this as I’m sure I’ll now finish the bottle in short order. Cheers!