What Bottles Do You Have Open Right Now?

What Bottles Do You Have Open Right Now?

As I sit here tonight, enjoying a dram or two of Michter’s US-1 (which has been in bunker for a while), I got to thinking … “What bottles do you have open right now?”

Don’t misunderstand … This bottle wasn’t opened because nothing else was available, rather my daughter was looking to review a whiskey I’ve already enjoyed (she likes to do this under the pretence she’s catching up) and Michter’s was on deck. I could have brought down another for myself, but as I hadn’t sipped Michter’s in a while, I thought why not?

Now I know many folks buy a bottle or two and enjoy each until they’re gone, then pick up a replacement down the line – and that’s fine. However, I like options. You see, for me at least, bourbon is more than a drink to close an evening. I don’t have a pour every night, but when I do look in the cabinet, the juice speaks to me, and I’ll reach for the bottle that talks to my mood. (Last week Weller Antique had quite a lot to say.)

When Hannah and I began our whiskey blogging adventure, we decided it was going to be fun. If it ever became a job, or the process was forced, we’d stop. We still try to review one new whiskey together each week, and Hannah does try to play catch-up (like tonight), but on occasion I’ll enjoy a dram with no pressure to share my thoughts. Because of our process, more than a few bottles are open from which we can draw. So with the above in mind, here’s our open bottle list (please don’t judge/we’ll leave the closed bottle options up to your imagination):

– 1792 Small Batch
– Angel’s Envy
– Booker’s 2019-01
– Booker’s 2019-03
– Colonel Taylor Small Batch
– Dry Fly 101
– Dry Fly Straight Triticale Whiskey
– Eagle Rare
– Elijah Craig Small Batch
– Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A118
– Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A119
– George Dickel #12
– Larceny
– Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Batch #3
– Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Batch #7
– Michter’s US-1
– Rebel Yell Single Barrel
– Weller Antique 107

For those of you who are counting, that’s nine ryed, six wheated, an alternate grain, one port barrel finished, and a Tennessee whiskey. Seven are of the high proof variety and of the group, nine are there because of recent reviews. Do I have a favorite? You bet! Two of the top five bourbons I’ve ever enjoyed are on the list. A couple bottles have just a single pour remaining and I’ll be sad when they’re gone. A few more won’t or can’t be replaced when gone due to limited release status, or they were just plain bad, in which case, we’ll see if those get finished at all.

The roster changes, ebbing as a bottle is emptied and growing over time as a new evaluation subject is opened. I consider some to be “daily drinkers”, or regulars in the rotation (Colonel Taylor, Dry Fly 101, Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig, Weller, and there is always a Booker’s ready to go). Seasoned veterans like these are my benchmarks and have a home in the bunker. Each can hit the spot for any particular mood I may be feeling.

But the real story here is about memories. Each bottle means something to me. I first enjoyed expressions of Elijah Craig, Eagle Rare and Colonel Taylor years ago, and I love Booker’s – I hold the Backyard BBQ batch in high esteem. The Elijah Craig Barrel Proof’s pack the heat and the A118 is my favorite bourbon to date. The Maker’s Private Selects are special Idaho releases. And the others I’ve reviewed with my daughter and had with friends while enjoying their company.

With the above in mind, I’ll make this recommendation … Have more than a few bottles open in your bunker. You’ll be rewarded each time the cabinet is opened … Memories from the past will blend into those you’re making now.

Do you have any daily sippers or constants in your bunker that I’m missing? What bottles do you have open right now? Click “Leave a Reply” below to comment!

Cheers!

written by Brian Dawson,

WhiskeyfortheAges.com

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Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel 2019 Idaho State Liquor Division Batch #1 Review

Original review written February 29, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review: You may recognize that you’re drinking Heaven’s Hill’s Elijah Craig, but you’ll know that you’ve got something a bit more special and complex than the standard Small Batch offering. 89/100

Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review
VITALS:

– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch; State Private Barrel Select
– Age: 9 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=78%; Rye=10%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Non-Chill Filtered
– Barrel Serial Number: 5682075*
– Warehouse: Q-5 (HH main)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho
*Barrel 5682075 was purchased by the Idaho State Liquor Division for exclusive release to state patrons. As a result, availability is highly limited.

Visit heavenhill.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian. For comparison methods, I also sipped the standard Elijah Craig Small Batch neat from a whiskey tumbler. I will make brief notes of comparison in this Idaho Private Barrel review.

Check out Brian’s review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

I’d love to perch on a ridge, looking down in a crisp and green valley, grasses and trees swaying with a soft summer wind. The crystal blue skies match all of the vibrant greens in the valley and in the uprising slopes beyond. This pour is nature in a whiskey: complex, wild, and ever-surprising.

Photo by Zach Taiji on Unsplash

NOSE:

There is alcohol here, yes, but there is a floral component that is quite strong as well. With it are dark fruits, likely a stone fruit, but I can’t distinguish it further. There is allspice, heavier on the cinnamon perhaps, but it isn’t aggressive. I find a deep vanilla essence too, which makes for a pleasant balance. This couples with an equally dark brown sugar. I also can sense some pecans and seasoned oak. Overall, it has a robust character that is both warm and inviting.

Compared to Elijah Craig Small Batch (ECSB): Batch #1 is much deeper than its standard sibling, with a larger brown sugar element.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Oily with a pleasant, tingly texture.
– Balance: Batch #1 is very complex; there is fruit, but earthy tones certainly dominate.
– Visual: Mahogany with Henna notes, there are thick legs that droop from a weak crown, but they drip quickly. (Note that ECSB is lighter in color.)

Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review

Elijah Craig Batch #1 (left); Standard Elijah Craig Small Batch (ECSB) (right)

– Taste: Not too alcohol forward, the fruit and flowers remain the most predominant flavors. While I feel like there are dark fruits, the vibe of this bourbon is remarkably light and fresh. I get a pinch of black pepper and some rye heat that eventually gives way to a cherry and apple flavored pastry, drizzled with some simple sugar frosting that isn’t overpowering the fruit at all.

The character also opens up here too, coming across earthier than it was on the nose, as I can taste a little bit of leather out of the glass along with a little bit of grass at the end of the sip.

The nuts have disappeared, but the oak seems stronger in the palate than in the nose, constituting a decent base for this bourbon.

A Kentucky chew keeps the sip smooth with a slight tingle. Dried cherries come out here, which mix with the leather, grass, and a dusty, earthy soil. Very complex and entertaining.

– Compared to ECSB: Batch #1 is far more complex and textured on the palate as well than the standard ECSB, with heavier spices and earthy richness being the most notable difference.

Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review
FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short to medium. You know you’ve had a sip of bourbon, but you’ll forget pretty quickly.
– Between Sips: Grass and cherries stick around a bit between sips, but the natural subtlety of the grass soon mellows the cherries (and itself) into nothingness.

– No More: Without needing to get very far in the glass, the aforementioned fruits and pastry elements all but disappear, leaving grassy grains, leather (very aged/worn) and dusty soil to steal the stage. The cherries sneak in and out though, which keeps things interesting.

The empty Glencairn is a light oak that is only strong on a very deep inhales. Either way, I’m very pleased.

– Compared to ECSB: I actually think the standard ECSB outmatches Batch #1 in the finish, as ESCB persists with a greater sense of cherry flavors and more warmth.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I think I prefer Batch #1 to standard ECSB, but with both priced at just $30, you cannot go wrong with either of them.

RATING: 89/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

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Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – Idaho State Liquor Division Batch 1 – 2019 Review

Brian’s Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – Idaho State Liquor Division Batch 1 – 2019 Review

29-February-2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – Idaho State Liquor Division Batch 1 – 2019 (ECSB PB – ID SLD B1) is a wonderful pour. If this was representative of all Elijah Craig expressions, it would be a highly sought after. It is so much more the every day Elijah Craig Small Batch. Recommendation: When a “Private Barrel” or “Store Pick” is found, take it home.

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH BARREL SELECT 2019 IDAHO STATE LIQUOR DIVISION BATCH #1 WHISKEY INFORMATION:
Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel

– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Type: Small Batch
– Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill
– Mash Bill: Corn: 78%; Rye: 10%; Barley: 12%
– Barrel Char: #3
– Barrel Serial Number: 5682075
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125 proof
– Warehouse: Q-5 (HH Main)
– Age: 9 Years Old
– Non-chill filtered
– ABV: 47 (94 Proof)
– Bar code: 096749000067
– Price: $29.95
– Availability: Highly limited release.

Learn more at https://heavenhill.com/

On occasion, certain barrels aged in Heaven Hill’s Bardstown, KY, USA rickhouses destined to become Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon outshine others. When this happens, privileged vendors are given the opportunity to purchase the entire contents of these special casks. The privately selected barrels are dumped, bottled in personalized packaging and delivered to the purchasers account (along with the actual emptied barrel) for distribution.

Cask 5682075 was one of these barrels. Offered for sale by Heaven Hill, it was purchased by the Idaho State Liquor Division for exclusive release to its patrons in State Liquor Division sponsored release events.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOTE: For comparison, a small pour of readily available Elijah Craig Small Batch was used as a control spirit just to see how this privately selected barrel measures up.

NOSE:

When brought to the nose, ECSB PB – ID SLD B1 nips with a slightly strong alcohol presence. More nosing brings dusty corn and fruits of fresh caramel apple, yellow and red gourmet raisins and freshly dried prunes. Spices of nutmeg, allspice and rye blend nicely with rich vanilla, and sweets of caramel corn, brown sugar, caramel, and chocolate toffeed pecans. This is a deep and earthy bourbon with a nice leatheriness which mixes well with the dry oak of a hazy, toasted barrel.

PALATE:

At 94 proof ECSB PB – ID SLD B1 has a bit more of a bite and a little more burn than I expected. But after a few sips the warming juice offers plenty of roasted corn and a just a bit of grassiness. There is an element of dark sweet stone fruit which comes across as sweet prune fruit leather. Spices of ginger, black pepper and rye blend well with graham crackers, chocolate chips and rich vanilla. But these sweets play backseat to its more prominent brown sugar caramel and chocolate toffee with crushed pecans. When the liquid is held in the mouth, an earthy leatheriness blends with dry seasoned oakiness and sweet smoke.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
ECSB PB – ID SLD B1 is buttery smooth, pleasant and yet has a nice tickle to remind you it’s bourbon. It is well balanced and in the Glencairn its well defined inverted crown gives way to long clinging legs which return the juice back into the Mahogany and Henna colored pool. This private barrel has many of the same aromas and flavors as Elijah Craig Small Batch but all are much richer an deeper. This would have made an amazing Barrel Proof offering.

FINISH:

Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – B1 selected by the Idaho State Liquor Division finishes long and warm as its aromas and flavors fade in and out. Memories of dusty corn hide in hints of grassiness while traces of cinnamon, black pepper and rye give way to its caramel sweetness. This is an earthy bourbon with just enough smokey barrel char, dry oak and plenty of depth as it fades away.

MY RATING: 89/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel
Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel

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