Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon C921
Much like Booker’s, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of those multiple-releases-per-year products I love to go out and find. Unlike Booker’s, my overall opinion of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - or ECBP - has not been as hit-or-miss in recent years.
The “modern” batches (2017 and forward) are largely good-to-great, with some true standouts in there. I’m looking at you, B518 and B520. This year, ECBP entered a new phase in two separate lanes: first, each of the three batches this year are the lowest three proofs at which ECBP has ever been released; second, ECBP now has single barrel picks which, while exciting as hell, also means potentially fewer overall cases dedicated to the three-times-a-year releases.
When batch A121 came out, I’ll admit to a little worry. I found it oaky and thin as ECBPs go, though the lower proof wasn’t one of my concerns. For whatever reason, the “A” batches tend not to be my favorites, whereas the “B”s garner higher praise. At 123.6 proof, A121 was the lowest proof ECBP of the moderns and possibly ever - until B521 came out at 118.2 proof, that is.
I didn’t mind the lower proof on the B521. It had a great mouthfeel, plenty of ECBP flavor, and tons of chocolatey goodness. The first few pours were great, though lately the bottle hasn’t been calling to me as much. Some ECBPs open up beautifully in the bottle, some not so beautifully.
Then, C921 hit.
Falling right between the A and B batches’ proofs, it’s a completely different side of Heaven Hill and ECBP. Here’s a throwback to the profiles of the Old Labels, dark aged rum, fresh red fruits and berries, the scent memory of walking into a well-seasoned warehouse, and an intriguing mocha note I thought ECBP had long since discarded. The proof heat waxes and wanes throughout the pour as does the oak, which makes a surprising appearance right up front with a creamy nose and never turns woody on the palate.
For maybe the first year since the modern ECBPs began, it looks like the C batch is the frontrunner. If it holds up better than the B batch did over time, score be damned - it’ll be my winner for the year.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon C921 Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Heaven Hill Distillery
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Proof: 120.2 (60.1% ABV)
Age: 12 Years
Location: Kentucky
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon C921 Whiskey Price: $65
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon C921 Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark maple syrup. Barely-there rims and thin, running legs.
Nose: Walking into a rickhouse - classic, powerful bourbon, with vanilla, Biscoff cookies, and warm wood. Dried cherries surrounding a creme brûlée. Bourbon-soaked oak, toasted leather, and oak creaminess that’s surprisingly apparent on the nose.
Palate: Fruity and oaky up front, lots of dark chocolate covered raspberries. Proof heat hits the front of my tongue, flickering with a tropical fruit salad and some Guyanese rum-like dark sweetness. Mouthfeel is silky, medium-bodied, and quite coating, adding mocha to the fruity heat. This is complex and evolving. Oak astringency enters at the very end.
Finish: Mouthwatering. More semisweet chocolate rolls in over the proof, which sticks around for a good minute. Turns syrupy in the bottom and corners of my mouth.
Overall: Damn that’s tasty. Fruity, chocolatey, hot within reason, with a depth of flavor and dark sweetness I look for in the better ECBP batches.
Final Rating: 7.5
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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