Elijah Craig Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon (Private Label)

Total wine and more pick, 125.1 proof, 11 year age stated. Sweet and spicy nose with allspice, nutmeg, confectioners sugar, honey, ginger, nougat, vanilla cream, and Snickers bar. As I was writing this before taking my first sip, suddenly a berry note came out of nowhere. Ethanol nicely restrained. Whoa. Palate much woodier and more astringent than the nose would indicate. Sour cherries, oak, caramel, dark chocolate, sweet corn, buttered toast, and berry. Flavors are sharp and “tight” if that makes sense. Lingering finish brings more sourness (almost like gummy worms), furniture varnish, astringent oak, cherry NyQuil, black pepper, cinnamon, the dark chocolate from the palate, and barrel char. Mouthfeel is the thinnest and grainiest I have ever experienced in a ECBP product to the point of being watery, ultimately resulting in an unpleasant prickly feel where everything is felt solely on the sides of the tongue. This is…not good. All prickles and stings. Strangely sour and let me tell you, sour is NOT a note I appreciate in my whiskey. Someone actually selected this and said “this is the one”?!? I think I paid 79.99 for this and it’s a few steps above a drain pour. I’ll stick to the main three releases each year and leave these “barrel strength private barrel” offerings on the shelf from now on. Huge disappointment.

Some very bitter finish on these.

Total Wine Single Barrel. 9 yr age. 136.5 proof. A little smokey on the pallet and feels like it'll burn on the finish but very smooth for the proof

Liquor City Uncorked pick, "Gallenstein Selection #9" Barrel No. 6807165 Age - 8 years 63.5% abv; 127.0 proof Open 2.5 months Nose - Rich caramel, toasted vanilla, sweet tobacco, black cherry, plum, sweet oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Oak spice up front, toffee, brown sugar, pipe tobacco, burnt marshmallow, dry cinnamon, and clove. Finish is medium-long with dry, tannic oak, clove, tobacco smoke, pine sap, caramel, vanilla bean, and medium ethanol. Not a showstopper, but another solid single barrel offering. I dislike the price creep of ECBP and the single barrels, but I will still buy them sight unseen right now. If they get to $100, I may have to try them before I buy.

tps 9y