Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch A120

Rating: 19/23 Nose: Unexpectedly musty, akin to damp cardboard. A whisper of acrid smoke, yet also a touch of sweetness with sour mash, anise, and a subtle hint of tangerine rind. The sweetness evokes a Blanton's sensation with its light caramel and tangerine notes. An intriguing complexity arises from the interplay of tangerine and anise with mature wood, spices, and faint herbs. In the spice profile, I detect bold black pepper and a touch of chili. A slight vegetal undertone emerges, which isn't preferred, but is manageable. Palate: Robust wood with a hint of polish. Bittersweet chocolate and potential traces of creosote. Spices and noticeable bitterness. A mild peppery heat is present but controlled. Whispers of black licorice. Vanilla appears intermittently but doesn't contribute sweetness here. Ginger is also present. Some alcohol warmth, but not overwhelming. Finish: A slightly peculiar note leaning towards metallic (copper), but largely acceptable. This isn't a dominant characteristic. Some bitter wood with a hint of creosote, perhaps. Not extensive. - Conclusion - Among the samples tried, this appears to be the closest rival to my personal pour of Elijah Craig A121. This expression is more bitter and unconventional, though it offers greater depth. The A121 lacks the metallic quality but is decidedly less assertive. While not vastly different, the smoothness and richness of the A121 significantly surpass this one. I would certainly choose this over Elijah Craig B519 (18/23). That particular bottling exhibited excessive alcohol bite and insufficient body. Resilient 15 (18/23) is less full-bodied than this and possesses a more pronounced mineral character, making it feel thinner throughout. I prefer the flavor profile here and it maintains its body better. Old Forester 1920 (18/23)? It's sweeter with more banana, but also thinner. Lacks significant complexity. Despite this bottling being considerably hotter, it emerges victorious. The refined wood and fudge notes are quite appealing. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18-29/23) offers more tartness with increased fruit, alcohol, and sour mash, yet remains comparatively full. Deciding between the two is challenging. This one undeniably has a more pronounced burn as well. Based on initial tastings, I estimate this falls within the 19 to 21 range, with 21 appearing improbable. 1792 Full Proof (19/23) is smoother but also thinner. It's certainly not more engaging. I'm inclined to favor this one, though the difference is minimal. Considering I typically rate the 1792 as a low 19 and this wasn't definitively superior to the Wild Turkey, a score of 19 seems most fitting. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21/23) is notably more viscous and rich than this. It's slightly smoother, but this offers more intrigue while remaining delicious. I don't believe the Jack Daniel's is vastly superior, but I would grant it the win. I was uncertain, but then the heat became prominent here, solidifying the decision. I'm placing this in the 19 to 20 range. I was just contemplating preferring this over the Wild Turkey and 1792, but then the finish arrived and it was somewhat harsh. I was close to awarding a 20, but I believe I'll settle on a 19. Many thanks to a friend for this sample as well! A truly enjoyable dram:)

It's well-known that this is one of the most sought-after barrel-proof bourbons, and for good reason. Back when a certain distillery was getting a lot of attention, finding this was nearly impossible, as too many people always ruin things. However, I found it while casually browsing shelves, and since the store had plenty, I figured it was a good opportunity to properly appreciate and try it again. Unsurprisingly, alcohol is prominent on the nose. Once you get past that, you'll discover a good amount of fresh rye spice and that familiar number 4 barrel char, but with even more depth, as if you scraped actual wood from the barrel into your glass. Like its standard counterpart, the aroma is quite simple; as I've stated before, straightforward bourbons and whiskeys often yield the best results. The initial tastes immediately highlight the caramel, as expected. My second tasting phase (swishing, swallowing, and holding my breath) was challenging, as the alcohol and rye spice nearly overwhelmed my senses through my nose. After allowing it to breathe during the third phase and beyond, the rye becomes quite apparent. This goes back to my earlier point about a simple recipe, and if it works, why change it... Overall, this is undoubtedly one of the most memorable barrel-proof bourbons I've had. I recall having it years ago at the distillery and have wanted it ever since. Unfortunately, the hype quickly diminished that desire. Now that the frenzy has passed, I find this very dark, rich, and impressive representation of a true bourbon to be something I will aim to consistently purchase and proudly display.

The aroma starts with notes of bananas foster, morello cherry jam, deep-fried cinnamon-sugar bread, and vintage leather, followed by dark chocolate-covered hazelnuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco, then sautéed apples, raspberries, and mandarin oranges, leading into ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves, and polished mahogany with a strong alcohol presence. The taste has a medium body, beginning with bananas foster, morello cherry jam, deep-fried cinnamon-sugar bread, and vintage leather, then a moderate bitter and sour spice that gradually fades to a spicy dark chocolate mocha, toasted marshmallow, and freshly lit pipe tobacco, followed by sautéed apples, dried raspberries, and mandarin oranges, then ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves, and mildly bitter, ashy oak spice with a strong alcohol presence. The finish is medium in length with moderate black pepper spice, cocoa nibs, caramelized bananas, sour cherries, burnt caraway seeds, pipe tobacco, and over-steeped black tea. Another enjoyable bourbon in this Elijah Craig series; the aroma truly draws you in with bold and balanced notes of sweet citrus, fried bread, slight tartness, aged oak, and light rye spices, which carry over to the taste but don't quite match the balance of the aroma, as a bitter spice detracts before allowing the sweet citrus fruits to come through. The finish is rather bitter and spicy with subtle fruits barely noticeable. Compared side-by-side with B519, this is the clear winner for me as the fruits are not nearly as tart, and the A120 includes some pleasing well-aged oak characteristics that were absent in B519. Thank you to a friend for the generous sample.

The aroma is strong with notes of charred peaches, exotic wood, pecans, aged hide, dried plum, sultanas, and, frankly, adhesive. The alcohol is potent, but given its high proof, it's less than anticipated. The taste is intensely fiery. Of course, it's barrel strength, which is appreciated, but a regular sip offers little beyond pure ethanol, persisting to the end. A tiny taste reveals the nuances: abundant caramelized sugars, raisins, dates, figs, dried apricots, soot, and acrid wood. The lingering finish presents cinnamon, cayenne, spearmint, and aged, dry oak. Adding water improved it, revealing caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon candy. The water level was right this time, though achieving the optimal mix has been guesswork. Though better with water, it still demanded a significant amount to be pleasant. While a few drops or a small splash are fine, I don't want to need to be a mixologist for my bourbon. I enjoy ECBP, but this particular release is a bit of a miss, particularly when compared to the excellent B519 batch. My opinion might be unpopular, but this was simply a lesser batch for me, and this bottle has been a challenge. Letting it breathe didn't help. I wouldn't buy it again, but I'll continue to purchase every ECBP batch, as there have been and will be outstanding ones.

Opened 2 months ago Nose - Rich caramel and toffee, potent ethanol and oak, snickerdoodle and gingerbread cookies, candied dates and raisins. Palate - Caramel drizzled over inexpensive dry pie crust, more shortbread than cookie, cinnamon and nutmeg, light caramel. The finish is exceptionally oily, coating the mouth instantly. The tannic oak and ethanol completely overpower the palate; it's hot even with small sips. You need a moment to recover your sense of taste before taking another sip because it's hot, oily, and dry. Any hint of sugar or fruit disappears quickly from the mid-palate. I was eager to purchase this in August, thinking I had missed out. The new ABC store in Durham had large quantities of ECBP B519, A120, and B520. (They still have cases of these even after being open for over 2 months.) However, I believe this batch is significantly worse than A119 and B520. It possesses all the characteristics one desires in ECBP, but the ethanol dominates the palate. This is the highest proof whiskey I've encountered, yet I've had multiple spirits above 130 proof that I prefer. Therefore, I don't believe the ethanol percentage is the issue. The flavors simply don't harmonize as well compared to two previous ECBP batches I've bought. After being open for 2 months and sharing the bottle with a friend, I expected it to mellow, but it hasn't. People clearly enjoy this more than I do, but for me, the A119 was superior, and the B520 was in a completely different class.

The initial aroma feels intense, as expected due to the alcohol content. It features cinnamon and other warm spices, vanilla icing, a hint of fresh cut grass, a deep caramelized fruit scent, corn, maple syrup, soda, and some leather. The taste is sweet, rich, and viscous, leaving your mouth dry with a persistent powdery sensation. Flavors include dried dark cherries, abundant baking spices, oak, leather, soda, and a subtle presence of that cut grass note. It's quite remarkable how this spirit coats your mouth and feels oily, yet simultaneously creates a drying, chalky sensation, particularly noticeable with a longer hold before swallowing. The finish is exceptionally lengthy, beginning with a burst of spice, soda, and sweet corn, then mellowing into subtle vanilla and oak, accompanied by some barrel smoke that emerges later. This is a fantastic pour. I appreciate its thick texture and the presence of fruit notes in this particular iteration. While there's a grassy/earthy element, which I often detect in similar spirits, it's less pronounced here than in previous ones, which is a positive development. Separately, while many are devoted to batch C919, this one is superior for me. Despite a slightly more aggressive heat, its overall quality is higher.