Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C921

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C921

Purchased for $78 at a local liquor store (South Carolina).

12 years

120.2 proof

Reviewed neat in a glencairn...and read on for with a dash of water...

Appearance: Dark brown, Thick, slow legs that look like maple syrup running down the side of the glass.

Nose: There is a harsh ethanol profile that hits me right away. Getting past that, there’s a balanced mix of sweetness and an earthiness. I would best describe it as a sweet, floral profile accompanied by a wine barrel.

Palate: It’s hot. But not as bad as the nose. There’s a mix of lemon zest, caramelized honey, and some barrel char. There’s also a black pepper note in the sense that it numbs the mouth with a subtle spice. It’s thinner on the palate than it looks, though it coats the palate well. It has a definite drying effect.

Finish: The palate is left with a healthy burn. There’s a mild hug that starts in the very top of the chest between the collar bones and works its way down to the middle of the chest. An oakiness is left lingering on the palate with a slight citrus note.

So…I don’t normally do this for a review, but this bottle was just so hot on the nose, palate, and finish neat that I think it was worth giving it a dash of water. So, I added a splash (maybe an 1/8 tbsp) to about 1 oz of bourbon. Here’s my review now:

Nose: That ethanol profile is gone. The sweetness is more distinguishable now as almost a caramel apple, still floral, and oaky.

Palate: (Maybe a little too much water because it’s pretty muted) There’s some apple and cherry mixed in with some oak. There’s still a honey note, but the caramel profile has been lost. There’s definitely still a healthy amount of barrel char.

Finish: It’s almost non-existent really. (I definitely put a little too much water to the amount of bourbon.)

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall: This is a lot hotter than some of the more recent ECBP batches. However, a dash of water can cut the heat really easily and bring out those beautiful notes that we’re used to with ECBP. While I did add a little too much water for this review, it was still very promising with how easily it cut the heat completely (and if you noticed in the pic, I’ve drank quite a bit of this bottle, and it’s typically been with a splash of water). Would I buy this bottle again? Today, no. There’s much better batches of ECBP since C921.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect