Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon

Nice!

__Edit__***increased the score after returning to the bottle a few nights later... What an incredible bottle*** I really enjoyed this pour, was very happy to get my hands on a bottle. It's really tough looking for a replacement for when my stag jr bottle runs dry but I think this could get me at least 80% of the way there. For this Barrel Proof with and AS of 12yrs to sell at $50-$60(if you can find it) this might just be the best value in the Barrel Proof segment I really liked the flavors presented with the neck pour and look forward to seeing how everything develops with some air in the bottle. First impressions: Wow, the smell packs a punch. You can sense every bit of the high proof here. Takes a bit to acclimate to the burn but once you do you're rewarded with a chocolatey toffee note almost like a candy bar. Behind this is some vanilla, faint leather and some char. The taste is very very good. A very rich, oily, and full tasting dram. On the palate this is almost a vanilla ice cream sundae. You get caramel sauce up front accompanied with the vanilla bean with hints of chocolate. This is a pour that has more flavor than I am able to taste on the first glass. After resting it for 30 or so minutes I get a lot of dark fruits moreso than I did initially. A dark juicy sugared plum, and some dark cherries also. I'm enjoying this flavor profile much more than the first time around... And I thought the initial flavors we're great. I'm thinking that this might just turn into one of my favorite barrel proof bottles.... Behind Stagg Jr of course (sue me) For this being the first batch of the year (A120) I'm really excited to see how it stacks up against the B520 and the C920 Bottles I like more: Stagg Jr Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Proof (review to come...) Bottles I like less/the same: Rare Breed (about the same- the profiles are so different that it's really tough to compare the two) Baker's 7 (nearly the same but lacks the punch the ECSbBP offers) Would I buy again: In a heartbeat - and the next iterations as well

I miss the 12 year old but this is obviously better. Just not as affordable. Such raisiny, burnt sugar sweetness.

Batch 5. Smells great. Palate is hot, but a burst of flavor as well. Class bourbon. Warm Kentucky hug. 9/6/20