Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C918

Nose: oaky, leather, brown sugar, dark chocolate, black peppercorn Palate: bing cherry, oily, dark tobacco, molasses oatmeal, dulce de leche, creamy Finish: spicy, long, numbing without water, chocolate, roast oak Big, rich bourbon. Really opens up with water and can handle quite a bit. Flavor profile changes immensely as you add.

This is a delayed review. When I first opened this bottle, it was hot and spicy and not very flavorful. The finish was not great either. I had forgotten about it as I had other better drams to drink. After about a year I went back to it because everyone thought ECBF was so good. Did I miss something? Wow, did it ever open up into one of the best bourbons I've ever tasted. The nose was pleasant but not great. The plate however gave me a burst of flavour that I could not wrap my head around. Sweet, spicy, rich, viscous. It was intense! The finish was long and chewy-so different than the first tasting. What a bargain compared to other high proofs out there.

Nose: sweet heath bar or toffee, some creme brûlée possibly. Not a lot of fruit, maybe hint of banana or strawberry angel food cake. Palate: so good. Sweet cinnamon bread, moderate length finish, not too spicy given the proof. Chocolate Rolos caramels, lots of different good variations. Arguably better, certainly more bold than Blanton’s.

The best bourbon I've ever tasted. Heavy and strong, yet smooth and incredibly tasty. I taste caramel, butterscotch, brown sugar, toasted oak, pepper and cinnamon. The bourbon has a fantastic chewy finish.