Brian’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 Review:
23-February-2021
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 BOURBON REVIEW:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 (ECBP A121) drinks below its 123.6 proof and is another fine offering in the ECBP line up. For those of us who enjoy dark oaky bourbon, it works even though A121 is not as sweet as some of its siblings. Its flavor also lacks the fruitiness I’ve come to expect from some ECBP offerings. A small amount of water will help this spirit bloom, yet I enjoy this bourbon neat. I’ll be reaching for this bottle again soon.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Small Batch Barrel Proof
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill/Bernheim Distillery
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: 12 Years
Non-chill filtered
ABV: 61.8% (123.6 Proof)
Availability: Tri-anual Limited Release
Released): January 2021
Batch: A121
▪”A” First release of the year
▪”1″ Released in January
▪”21″ Released in 2021
Price: $59.99 (2021-Idaho)
Learn more at Heaven Hill Distillery.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, the first 1.4 ounces from the newly opened bottle were poured into our Infinity Bottle Project. Alternate pours into two Glencairns were made to achieve review portions. The bourbon was enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 NOSE:
ECBP A121 doesn’t waft from the bottle like many bourbons do when the synthetic cork is pulled. But, when I bring the Glencairn to my nose, I get a dry warming bite of roasted corn and dusty grain. I’m also treated to ripe berries, dark cherries, currents, dark plums, and dried dark fruits of raisin, prune and fig as well as spices of white pepper and rye. The first sweets I smell are of yellow cake, chocolate nibs, and vanilla custard, all of which fade to vanilla taffy, buttery brown sugar, and cashew toffee. I don’t pick up much wood on the nose, just a bit of sweet toasted oak and notes of fresh tanned leather.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 PALATE:
The first sip of ECBP A121 is fairly easy to hold, with only a slight tickle to my tongue. When finally swallowed, the sip gives my throat a warm bite. After a good Kentucky Chew, I get a floral potpourri of dried flowers and grassy notes. Sensations of roasted corn and dusty grain are also present in each mouthful. Continued sipping brings on dark currants and dried dark figs which dance with spices of warm ginger and black pepper and dark sweets of dark vanilla, burnt sugar, woody caramel, dark molasses, and dark toffee. And then comes the lumber; bitter walnuts, dry and heavy oak and musty hazy barrel char.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Solid and well blended, ECBP A121 is a rich and oily liquid and yet oddly, without much body. In the Glencairn, long fat legs cling to the glass walls before returning the liquid to the mahogany colored pool. The droplets then fade quickly away.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 FINISH:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 finishes with lingering heat … even a slight bite at the back of the throat. The dried flower and grassy elements sensed in the mouth fade into dusty grain as do the dark dried figs. Warm ginger and rye nearly overpower any burnt woody caramel and dark molasses. The bitter walnut sensed in each sip, fades as dry heavy oak and barrel char dominate the finish.
THE ADDITION OF WATER
Water can often tame big, bold whiskeys and the addition of 2-4 drops will not radically change the proof of the pour. Rather, water may help open the spirit which can then allow the aromas and flavors to bloom. Therefore water was added to A121 in controlled amounts three evenings after the initial tasting in effort to discover its effect.
I added two drops of distilled water to 1.5 ounces of ECBP A121. Cinnamon now greets the tongue on the first sip and the grassy notes are slightly subdued. The roasted corn and dusty grain as well as the dark fruits remain. The small amount of water seems to enhance ECBP A121’s sweetness. The burnt sugar element is diminished as is the bitterness sensed the initial tasting. Still, the dry and heavy oak and hazy barrel char remain. Two drops of water improved A121.
After the two drop dram was downed, a fresh 1.5 ounce pour of ECBP A121 was made and four drops of distilled water were added. The warm ginger and black pepper I noted a few days back seem to be even more pronounced. The pour remains dark, but distinct flavors noted during the initial tasting have blended and the hazy barrel char seems to dominate the sweetness and fruits. For me, two drops per 1.5 ounces is about right … four drops of water may be a bit much.
MY ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 RATING: 88/100; 90/100 w/ 2 drops of water
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
I am ALWAYS watching for ECBP offerings.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
When enjoyed NEAT, click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
When enjoyed with water, click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A121 TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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