Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C922

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C922 This bourbon is bottled directly from the barrel without chill filtration. Three releases occur annually: January ("A", first batch), May ("B", second batch), and September ("C", third batch). This bottle represents the third 2022 release, indicated by C922. The grain bill consists of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye, and it carries a 12-year age statement. The nose is fruity, reminiscent of cherry coke syrup, apple pie, cinnamon, and clove, with subtle tangerine notes and a hint of cool spearmint. The palate is intensely sweet, featuring chocolate-covered cherries and abundant vanilla oak, with a moderately viscous mouthfeel. The finish starts with more sweet vanilla oak, followed by a pleasant espresso bitterness, freshly crushed pine needles, and a reappearance of tangerine. This is preceded by noticeable heat, which is expected for a 124.8-proof spirit. This bourbon is consistently a favorite, and I seek out all three annual releases. I already have this year's A122. I haven't encountered the B522 yet. Without the keen observation of a friend who located this C922 for me in another state, I wouldn't have it. The retail price of $99 was higher than my usual cost by $15-20, but I had been unable to find this particular release. It received 4.25 stars. All spirits were tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.

Nose opens with stewed fruits like pear and apple, tobacco, leather, vanilla cake frosting, orange marmalade, caramel chew, old cedar furniture, allspice, clove. Honestly, there is so much depth and complexity here you get a new element with every sniff. A truly great aroma. Ethanol is well controlled. Palate brings more “dark” elements than the nose would indicate; tons of gooey caramel, Black Forest cake, ripe date, toffee, black cherry, fig newton, and dark chocolate. To say the flavors are rich and robust is a massive understatement. Finish is insanely good with…remember one of those crazy ice cream sundaes you would get from a place like Swenson’s where it was three scoops of vanilla ice cream and then you had one fudge, butterscotch, and strawberry topping on each scoop? That’s totally there in this finish. Even a hint of the chopped nuts. Just enough cinnamon, black pepper, and toasted oak to add balance and keep things from becoming cloying. Very long, but I wanted it to be longer because it’s so damn good. Mouthfeel is full-bodied and creamy. A delight. So some ECBP releases are spicy, some earthy, and some sweet, and this is definitely the latter, and it really hit the spot for me. Right up there with the best of the best of the expression. I can't recall if I paid $79.99 or $99.99 for this, but it doesn't matter because the rating is 5 out of 5 either way.

This bottle has been in my collection for two years. It's C922, aged a dozen years in oak to 124.8 proof, and I'm tasting it neat. It presents a deep rosy brown copper hue with robust, coating legs in the glass. The aroma offers notes of caramel corn, cherry, maple syrup, and dry sweet grass, with a faint hint of ethanol in the background. On the palate, ethanol and rye spices emerge within a rich layer of sweet maple syrup and burnt brown sugar. Dry, tannic oak, floral vanilla, and cherry dominate, while cinnamon and baking spices keep the sweetness in check. The alcohol content is evident. The finish is characterized by tannic, dry grassy spice, a mouth-tingling mint, and a very long-lasting black cherry flavor. It's dry but not sour or excessively sweet. An ice cube softens, but doesn't eliminate, that dry tannic spiciness. It's excellent, with or without ice. This is a prime example of a barrel proof release where the distillery nailed it. It's bolder than the sweeter Larceny B522 barrel proof I recently opened – drier, more tannic, spicy, and assertive. Both are good, but this one offers a more complex flavor profile due to its extended oak aging. I'm pleased I kept it; I haven't encountered an Elijah Craig like this in 2023 (never found a C923, unfortunately!). I'm hopeful their C924 (releasing next month) will be this good. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I always anticipate this release; last year was my first try, and it was one of my favorite pours. I had some when I first got it, and it was a bit sharp. I let it sit for about 15 minutes to open up. On the nose, I get apple, a hint of pear, oak spice, brown sugar, and caramel. The front of the palate has sugary sweetness that leads into baking spices and oak in the mid-palate. The back of the palate has more sweet oak, chocolate, and salted peanuts. The finish is long and spicy with a viscous mouthfeel; I get a note similar to honey-glazed ham with clove and cinnamon. You really get a long Kentucky Hug with this one and some drying of the palate on the back end. Very enjoyable; I'm not sure if it ranks as high as last year's C batch, of course, I have none left.

I don't typically focus heavily on the "expert review" section, but the tasting notes provided are quite accurate. The aroma is reminiscent of caramel apple, brown sugar, peanut, and sweet tobacco. I can also detect notes of saltwater taffy, as mentioned by the expert. The palate echoes these flavors. The finish reveals a pleasant oakiness that is well-balanced with the initial sweetness. I believe it surpasses the previous batch, though it still doesn't quite reach the heights of my favorite so far, which is A121. These consistently deliver very good to excellent results, and this one is no exception. It offers great value: a 12-year-old, barrel-proof bourbon purchased for under $70. I'm assigning the same score as the last batch, but I'd rank this one slightly higher. My score is 4.19 compared to B522's 3.88.

Initial pour review Smell - Incredible. Cherry cola, heavy oak, caramel and vanilla. A hint of nuttiness. As it breathes, I detect more dark berries and spices. I truly hope the flavor matches the scent. Flavor - Quite a bit of peanut comes through on the mid-palate and finish from the initial pour. Berries, oak, and caramel at the start. Vanilla spikes with that nuttiness on the finish. I'm genuinely enjoying this serving. General - I love how rich this batch is… it coats the palate exceptionally well. It lingers on the mid-palate and delivers that enduring caramel and oak with an alcohol warmth. If you can purchase this for $90 or less..buy it