Rating: 22/23 This is it, the legend among legends, the bourbon that goes toe-to-toe with bourbons 10x its cost: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520! N: After giving it a while to breathe, the nose goes from essentially non-existent to woody and musty like an attic. There's a chocolateyness along with some cinnamon and a little bit of dried tart cherries too. I wouldn't say that this is a really interesting nose, but it suggests some fantastic richness on the palate. P: The palate is rich and full of flavor. It's bursting with wood, chocolate, and cinnamon. A little bit of allspice, ginger, and clove come in too. And there's this delightful creamy flavor. I get a hint of maple that borders on molasses a bit because of the creosote from the wood and spices. The alcohol does bring out a bit of a dark tart cherry flavor and a bit of banana that has some greenness to it. It's mature and a bit musty. The alcohol does show through, but it isn't really harsh. F: It's a long rich finish. The more bitter side lingers more with a full flavor. The wood is there moreso than the chocolate or spices, and the fruit is entirely gone. It is bold and lasting in a way that reminds me of the grandeur of the palate though. This is richer than Wild Turkey Rare Breed (which is already quite rich, so that says a lot about this!), but it isn't as funky and complex. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof probably sits in between the two of these with its richer, sweeter flavor than the Wild Turkey and its greater complexity compared with this. The three are all excellent with quite distinct profiles though. This has the greatest richness and its chocolate and musty woodiness really work together to build up some complexity over time. Continuing tasting these side by side, I think I am leaning more and more toward this as my favorite. The Wild Turkey (although excellent) is clearly the worst, but the Jack Daniel's is pretty top notch. This was kind of just hot and cinnamony when I opened it, but as time has gone on it has really developed nicely from the oxidization. I wish I had some George T. Stagg 2018 to try side by side with this. For $70, this is a very tasty dram. I'm not sure that the value for the money beats Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof at $55 or Wild Turkey Rare Breed (116.8) at $45 as one to load up the bunker with, but I'll be watching subsequent Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases intently. It sounds like the C920 is probably a pass, but I'm looking forward to trying the A121! The neck pour of this landed in the 18 to 19 range, probably just slightly behind a fairly well oxidized bottle of Wild Turkey Rare Breed, but ahead of a very nicely oxidized bottle of Eagle Rare. With a couple months of oxidation, this has really improved. The one-note cinnamon bite has been replaced by some delicious chocolate that balances beautifully with the increased presence of the musty aspect of the wood. This tastes old and it has that subtlety and balance to its age like one would find in an old (18-25 year) scotch. I'm shocked, but this is now competing squarely with George T. Stagg 2018, which up until now has been my favorite bourbon of all time! That means that this is a 22 to 23. Wow. Initially, this tasted like a kind of bland - but rich - bourbon. It was very good, bit uncomplex and uninteresting. Some oxygen has really helped it though. It now tastes more mature than Wild Turkey Rare Breed, though it does tastes less complex. I get this immense, rich, bourbon character to it, but it does take a bit of water to bring it out. From a hedonism perspective, this is excellent. Cinnamon, rich rood, chocolate, and so on. For the money, I think I'd take the Wild Turkey Rare Breed if I had to drink it without letting it oxidize, but the time aging with a 2/3 full bottle has really brought the flavors out here. I no longer lean toward Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof in terms of preference, but I can stop to appreciate each in its own right. This is much richer than Corsair Grainiac, but it is certainly less complex. It's sort of a three-way battle among this, the Jack Daniel's, and the Corsair. This must be at least a 21 rather than the 18 I was originally going to assign it. I'd better grab another bottle while I can! I guess I have to conclude in the end that I prefer this to Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof just a bit, though both are awesome. After tax and all that, this is something like $15 more, so I'm not sure it's a better value for the money since they're really close. Still, I'm not entirely sure that this beats the Corsair Grainiac, which I snagged for only $50 (though that does have a lower proof), in terms of value or quality, but it's highly competitive. I love the bold, richness here. It shows it's age wonderfully without tasting over-oaked. In fact, it even tastes closer to 15 years old. I think that this falls a bit shy of a 23, but I wouldn't be shocked if I came back and upped it to one later. The burn is a bit much here and I would like a bit more complexity, but that rich chocolate flavor with the wood and spices is delicious and it really reminds me of George T. Stagg. I am looking forward to one day uncorking my bottle of Stagg and comparing it with this side by side! So, a glorious 22 for now. That's only after giving it 2 to 3 months of air though - otherwise it's more of an 18. I strongly recommend putting in the time and effort to give it that air.