Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon

N: Cinnamon, oak, cooked corn, shaving soap, more wood, faint peanuts, hint of pencil shavings, dried leaves, possibly some overripe orchard fruit in the background. But really this is mostly wood. Bit more ethanol than is probably called for too. Herbal mint and menthol notes show up after some time in the glass. P: Cinnamon, cherry, caramel, cooked corn, dried firewood, oak, mineral notes, mild oak tannin, gingersnap cookies (but lacking cookie-level sweetness), bitter dark chocolate, dash of roast coffee. F: Sweet corn, cinnamon, oak, earthy mineral notes, dark chocolate, tannins, mild heat. Best I can tell, this essentially just EC Small Batch with the wood notes turned up to 11. If that sounds like it appeals to you, at double the price (at least), by all means have at it. Personally, I like the softer, sweeter, better rounded notes of the regular Small Batch and can't see myself picking this up again - and especially not at any sort of secondary mark up. If I want something this woodsy at this price, I think Knob Creek 12 hits those notes with a little more style and substance. But I'm sure I know people who would feel differently. To each their own. Happy New Year to the Distiller community! ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord (now one whole year old!): https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired (it shouldn't be), please post a comment and I will gladly provide a new one.)

The flavor you would expect from the toasted barrel is barely there imo. You do get some sweeter taste up front and the oakey finish but it is very mild. Old Forester 1910 or the Woodford Reserve Double Oak are much better choices.

First thing is decant this. I moved it between two bottles a few times and shook it also. It really needs to get some air in it to bring it to life. At first crack it wasn't remarkable, like 1792. After decanting more like Woodford Double Oak.

Received a sample in trade. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Vanilla, apples, a hint of honey. Palate: Apples, caramel, baking spice. Finish: Medium-short, without much heat. Splash: Opens up some more berry notes. Overall: 6.5/10 - a longer, warmer finish would go a long way.

Nose: toasted marshmallows, vanilla Palate: sweet, vanilla, tobacco Finish: smoky, dry tobacco, slight burn

I didn’t love it when I first opened the bottle but the more I go back to it, the harder I’m looking for a second bottle. Nose is vanilla, baking spices and oak. Palate is baking spices, toasted marshmallows and chocolate. S’mores in a glass. Not as spicy as some are implying