JoelyO
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B520
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
November 16, 2021 (edited April 16, 2023)
Thank you to @ContemplativeFox for his generosity in sending me this sample.
Appearance: Warm maple syrup in color, Moderate legs, oily.
Nose: High proof but relaxed, butterscotch, vanilla, nutty, woodsy, smoky, sliced fresh apple.
Mouthfeel: Thick, rich and full. Lovely.
Flavor: Tart, yet sweet. Presence of heat and caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut, smoky oak, green apple, cinnamon and mint. It is tangy and sour as well.
Finish: Very tart, very sour and too minty for me. It has a very nice long warm hug but I can not get past the sour and mint.
I added ice which made the mint and sour even more intense.
Conclusion: For me it is just too much tangy, too sour, and too minty of a finish to enjoy. I feel bad because I know this is a much loved and appreciated EC but for me I just can not enjoy it enough to warrant a purchase to try it again.
Maybe it is my fault, maybe a bad tasting night but it is the only pour I had so I know it was not due to an overlap in flavors.
It was terribly bitter in my mouth in the finish although I loved and appreciated all the other wonderful flavor notes.
This one to me is so interesting as it does have major complexity and layers of some of my favorite flavors but the finish ruined it for me.
Rated a 2.00 as I would drink again if offered to me or found at a good price at a bar - just to be sure I am right about this one - but would not buy it to find out.
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Are you sure he didn’t send you Mellow Corn? 2.00? Blasphemy!
Give this ***** some 80 proofer cheap whiskey, doesn’t deserve a high proof great juice.
@PBMichiganWolverine I think my B520 was about $75, but I haven't been able to find any since A121 locally, so I'd have to go to secondary if I really wanted a bottle :(
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington I do not believe I have had those.
@ContemplativeFox no worries and it very well could have been my palate that evening. I appreciate your sharing!
@ContemplativeFox it’s up to $100 ?!? Been a while, but last I bought one , it was $75-80
@PBMichiganWolverine The price is unfortunately north of $100 now. I'd say the B520 is worth that, but for a middle of the road batch, that would be a tough sell.
@ContemplativeFox yeah I’ve read the same, from online reviews. I think I had an early one from 2017 or 18…was immediately in love with it, especially considering the price
@PBMichiganWolverine there's definitely batch variation in this releases. B520 is widely regarded as one of the best releases.
Interesting notes. I mainly recall wood, spice, and chocolate. Sorry this wasn't to your liking.
Have you had older cask strength MGP or George T Stagg? Might be way off here but I felt like B520 shared some characteristics with those and would love to hear if you liked or disliked those as well
I think it really depends on the batch as well. I’ve only had one of the earlier batches, but I think the variation from batch to batch is high