Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C923

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C923

Cost: $89 at local liquor store (South Carolina)

Age: 13 years and 7 months

Proof: 133

Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

Appearance: A dark terracotta reddish brown. Thin legs with a medium speed. It looks oily, but not too viscous.

Nose: Cherry and mint stand out the most. There’s a little lighter fruit note too…blueberry? There’s a small amount of chocolate that’s nestled in a weave of oak, vanilla and brown sugar. And not a smidge of ethanol! (This is one of my favorite traits of ECBP – high ABV and you’d hardly know it.)

Palate: It’s thin and drying on the palate. It somewhat struggled getting a good coating with most of the flavor concentrated on the top front half of the tongue. Other batches of ECBP coat a little better I think, but this could be an artifact of the 133 proof and extra alcohol (thinner) this has. But let’s get to the tasting notes! There’s a hearty amount of cherry and caramelized sugar that come to the forefront but closely backed up by a serious amount of oak and barrel char helping make that age statement. Coming back in for another sip, I can pick up on some peppercorn that’s interspersed throughout the sip.

Finish: There’s a mild chocolate covered cherry note that hits right after the swallow, but is quickly overtaken by the oak and barrel char that really close this one out! It’s very in your face and lingers for close to a minute after the swallow. There’s really not much of a hug to this one at all, which is totally surprising at 133 proof. There’s a little bit of an astringent drying effect going on in my mouth and at the back of my throat that help finally bring attention to the proof, but really not much heat at all.

Rating: 8.9/10

Overall: I really enjoyed ECBP A123 and thought it was going to be very tough to beat it. But, Heaven Hill did it with C923! This was a fantastic pour! It has a lot of depth and brings a little more oak, char, and spice to balance out the sweetness that I found in A123 - more robust and more well-rounded. It’s not quite as complex as some other bourbon’s I’ve had in the past 6 months or so, however, the way this drinks, you would never think it’s 133 proof. Not because of the flavor. It’s definitely robust! But there’s hardly ever a signal of the proof. You finally get a little bit at the very end with the way it evaporates off the palate, but other than that…really nothing. I love that about ECBP! Always sneaky.

At 133 proof, 13yr and 7mo, and usually found for close to MSRP, ECBP batch C923 is an absolute steal! I paid $10 over MSRP and would happily do so again. Heaven Hill has really been killing it the last few years with ECBP at how accessible and affordable it is, and how well it can compete with bottles 100s of dollars more than it on the reg. I’m a little fearful that in 2024, we’re going to find it progressively harder to get our hands on ECBP batches as they continue to build this reputation. As long as the price doesn’t go through the roof, I’ll always remain a hunter for ECBP batches!

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