Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C922

For me this is heaven

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C922 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP) is bottled uncut, straight from the barrel, without chill filtration. It is released three times per year: January (“A”, or first batch; month 1), May (“B”, or second batch; month 5), and September (“C”, or second batch; month 9). This bottle is the third release of 2022: hence C922. The mashbill is 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. It carries a 12-year age statement. Fruity nose, with cherry coke syrup, apple pie, cinnamon, clove, some subtle tangerine, and a whiff of cool spearmint. On the palate, super sweet chocolate covered cherries and lots vanilla oakiness, with a modestly viscous mouthfeel. The finish begins with more of that sweet vanilla oak, a pleasantly bitter espresso, freshly crushed pine needles, and a lingering tangerine reappearance, preceded by some noticeable heat—but that’s both wanted and expected when drinking a 124.8-proof bourbon. ECBP is always one of my favorite bourbons, and I try to find each of the three releases each year. I already have this year's A122 (reviewed 6/25/22). I've not yet seen the B522, and were it not for the sharp eyes of a good friend of mine who found the C922 for me in an adjacent state, I wouldn't have this one either. The $99 retail was $15-20 more than what I usually pay, but I'd not yet been able to find this release. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.

Fantastic.