Elijah Craig Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon (Private Label)

Rating: 16/23 N: Dusty, lightly musty wood. Then some of that sour mash tartness comes out. There's that standard Elijah Craig rich layer too. I want to say that it's chocolatey, but it isn't quite. I do get a hint of coffee though. It's more like a hint of root beer than chocolate. And some black licorice too. There's actually some yeatiness coming out of the nose that reminds me a bit of Four Roses Single Barrel. Not the most amazing Elijah Craig nose, but it's really good. P: This is hot, but not excessively so. Not excessively for 67.3% ABV that is - by most standards, this is quite hot. It isn't quite as full as I was hoping for, but it is quite rich. I get some wood. It isn't that mature or prominent though. There's a sweet, rich layer in front of it, featuring tootsie rolls and root beer barrel candies. There are some spice and despite it being mostly a hot peppery burn, it is nicely integrated with those sweet flavors, some rich vanilla, and a little black licorice in a way that makes it work OK. Those all integrate very nicely with the root beer and tootsie roll flavors. There's a dash of slate and limestone, but they aren't obtrusive. Just a hint of graphite and pencil shavings. I get some yeasty sour mash as well, but it's behind all of the other flavors. Aside from a bit too much burn, the balance is really nice. I wish that this were fuller, but it's overall a great palate. F: This unfortunately loses a bunch of the richness and the bitter mineral flavors take over more. I can finally really taste the cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and hints of clove though. There's a bit of wood as well, but it isn't super mature - though it isn't too loud and young either. This is definitely the worst part of this dram. It's the one part that I don't actively enjoy. - Conclusion - Elijah Craig Small Batch (15/23) is sweeter while maintaining its richness. It comes across as a bit more youthful and it doesn't have particular flavors it nails like the tootsie roll and root beer barrel flavors here. That said, its sweetness really throws into relief the lack of fullness in this. This isn't quite as sweet and it has more minerality without really having a fuller profile. I expect more oomph and decadence at such a high ABV. I like this one better, but the margin isn't as large as I might have hoped. My cask strength bottling of Garrison Brothers Single Barrel (15/23) is a bit richer and fuller than this, but it has just as much minerality and isn't nearly as complex and refined. I'd take this over the Garrison Brothers. It's not a huge win, but it's a definite win. I'd be surprised if I ended up giving this more than a 17. So on to Resilient 15 (18/23). Resilient has plenty of minerality as well (vitamins), but it packs less burn and has a more refined profile. It's also fuller, despite not being super full. That puts this in the 16 to 17 range. It's a bit tough to make the call, but I think that this is a bit closer in quality to the Garrison Brothers than to the Resilient, so I'm going with a 16 here. If I were on the fence here, I think the burn would convince me that this is a 16. The burn here really does approach the intensity of Ry3 (9/23), but at least the high proof here kind of justifies the burn. Thanks for sharing this, @soonershrink !

Surf Beverage store pick 11 year 128.7 Proof

8 year local store pick. First we have splinters. Dry, woody splinters. This takes some time to open up. Some deep notes of cherry pie, tobacco, milk chocolate, varnish, nutmeg, pepper and cardamom. Each inhalation also results in a painful, and subsequently numbing sensation. There’s no hiding the 126.8 proof. If someone handed me this I might blindly assume it’s Bookers. After all, this is a 120+ proof 8 year Kentucky bourbon. The wood notes really predominate and there is is a nuttiness to it This is hot but is also bright and oily. There is a noticeable amount of wood and cherry - hallmark Elijah Craig. The proof allows some unfolding of flavors as the oil sits on the tongue. There is a great deal of spice and a slightly bitter wood tannin to it. If I had to guess this spent 8 years near the top of a rick house. Adding water brings about a bit more complexity and sweetness. A bit if brown sugar comes out and the spice profile shifts from sharp to being a bit more rounded but it’s still peppery. Early verdict - this lacks the complexity and balance of a good ECBP 12 year small batch blend. Compared to other single barrels of similar ages I’m a bit conflicted. JDBP is softer and fuller. Old Forster barrel proof is a tad more complex, but I’m not sure I love the overall profile as much as this. Not an entirely fair comparison, I will say that Stagg Jr also has a more appealing spice profile and Bookers… this is pretty similar to Bookers. Price, I believe, was around $85 - so $10-20 above a 12y ECBP semi-annual release. With the relative scarcity and assured markup on the part of my local liquor store I don’t think that’s too unfair. This is the same price I paid for OF barrel proof and several Bookers, so again reasonable. If I could still find JDBP at $55 this story would take a different direction but that, alas, seems to be (locally) a thing I’d the past.

132 Proof / 66.00% 9 years Serial #6284597 Rick: MM Floor 7 Aroma - big vanilla note and dark fruits up front. Sweet honey and oak balance nicely in the middle and just a hint of pepper and cinnamon way in the back. As it opens up, I’m getting a smokey barbecue note. Honestly reminds me of smoked chicken and pineapple. Really bizarre yet very intriguing. The more I smell this the more the aroma grows on me. At first I wasn’t sure, but I’m picking up quite of bit of complexity the more it opens. Taste - Holy F that was a beastly first sip. Extremely effing hot first sip. (I love high proof stuff but this one took me by surprise ) Really enjoying this long finish though… super sticky. I almost got nothing on that first sip.. just straight heat. Proceeding sips - the usuals come through (oak and vanilla). Smoke, Caramel, slight hint of honey and baking spices. Finish is slight herbal tea and more of that sweet caramel and honey. Very very sweet lingering long finish to be honest. Adding few drops of water - getting lots orange peel and citrus notes. Which I did not find originally. More vanilla popping through now too. Finish isn’t as sweet and long as it was when I drank it neat. It’s transitioned to more of a musty oak and cinnamon. Overall - It’s a bit all over the place for me. Not sure what to really think of it. Wish I had an ECBP proof to compare it against. Will revisit this when/if I do against a standard release.