Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon

Aroma: Stone fruit, floral, oak, & hay. Flavor: Cherry jolly rancher, cinnamon, charred oak, hernal, & floral. Warm vanilla, honey, cocoa tea, & hay. Aftertaste: Spiced honey, orange zest. Body: Heavy, syrupy, & round Each aspect of this bourbon is loud. You can smell it from across the room, and each sip shares something new. Heavy, boozy, and delicious it immediately hits the palate like candy before opening up. It is powerfully balanced with exceptionally pleasant complexity even at 136proof. A surprising steal at the price for what is now in my top 5.

Batch b518 delicious with a ridiculously long finish

I’m trying the B517 neat and it’s excellent. Full of flavor.

Without a doubt the finest bourbon I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. Fell in love with the A118 batch and just picked up a bottle of the B518. Sells in New Hampshire for $49.99 which for a 12 year old, unfiltered, barrel proof whiskey is an absolute steal. You literally can’t do better than that. Cheers to Heaven Hill which is rapidly becoming my distillery of choice.

At the price, this is very good. It's what I would reach for when a "good stiff drink" is needed. But Bourbons like this I would generally not drink too much of at any one time. Maybe a finger or two...okay, two! I do the same with 3 various Booker's Batches, all very high ABV. The finish will continue to dry your tongue like it's been left out in the Sun at the beach. Drinking it neat, I get two distinct spice burns at different times, one well after the swallow. Definitely agree with @PBMichiganWolverine about the water/ice. That tames this beast and allows for a different experience. Not saying which is the better. Just depends on the mood. The strength, the burn, the sweet without saccharine, in short, the wonderful bourbon-ness of these liquors allows me to enjoy them without needing too much and also allows me to nurse these suckers 'til the cows come home. Thanks to the many posters on this whiskey, especially @PBMichiganWolverine for stimulating my curiosity about it. $64.99 USD in PA