Member Sign In Create Account
Login with email and password
No account yet? Register Now
Originally posted by Frank Rathburn
This was the second-to-last barrel proof release of Elijah Craig before they moved to the new bottle design and the A/B/CYY numbering system. It comes in at a towering, near-hazmat level proof of 139.4 and a 12 year age statement like all ECBP.
Nose: Raisin bread. Oak backdrop. Amazingly, no alcohol burn unless you really suck it in. Very welcoming.
Palate: Sticky, thick, dried fruit bread, toasted, with butter and brown sugar on top.
Finish: Fading red fruit with rising barrel char, light spice. Finish is somewhat short but I think it's actually better that way because it keeps the full power of the 139 proof hidden for the entire experience. Well, almost the entire experience. About a minute after a sip, my esophagus comes up to tell me what the proof was.
Impressive stuff - that high wire act of packing these sweet buttery dessert bread flavors into a high proof package without heat. Poured this as part of a flight of 14 samples with a friend recently. There were some standouts in the group: 2015 ETL, Barrell Bourbon Batch 15, a Plumpjack Knob Creek pick. This was my favorite, hands down. And I'm not a big EC fan, having not enjoyed the newer batches (even B517) enough to own one. But this...this is like an ECBP special anniversary release that you might still find on a shelf near you in a less-frequented store for retail ($60-70). Definitely recommended to pick it up if you do find it.
9: An all-time favorite, says all the right things to me.
The numbers are:
1-4: Various levels of unwantedness.
5: Mixing.
6: Fine, just fine. Sippable, enjoyable, but not delightful.
7: Good, with flashes of greatness but also flaws or mediocrity.
8: Great, but maybe not perfectly aligned with my preferences.
9: An all-time favorite, says all the right things to me.
10: Wow, I don't deserve this.
ADDITIONAL:
Just had Parker's Heritage Blend of Mashbills for the first time and you know what? ECBP 139.4 beats it by a good margin. They both are Heaven Hill of course and share a similar flavor profile, and are both in the 130s proof-wise. The BoM has a very mouth-watering nose that reminded me of a cooked steak and got me hungry. The palate was also more savory than the 139.4, flipping between peppered steak and sweet cinnamon rolls. But that 139.4 is more silky, refined, and sweet like hot buttery cinnamon bread pudding out of the oven. Both great, but 139.4 is amazing especially when you consider the price difference on secondary: 500 for BoM and 140 for 139.4. Buy as much 139.4 as you can for that price, I say. But Goettleman probably beat you to it.
Login with a social network