Hannah’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C919 Review
Original review written June 15, 2020
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Strong alcohol, but if you manage to get past that, you’ll find a very complex profile. From sweet to savory, you’ll think you’re having a full meal. 92/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Small Batch; Barrel Proof; Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=75%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Non-Chill Filtered
– ABV: 68.4% (136.8 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho
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.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
Even though the alcohol is strong, I picture this being enjoyable at the pool, with splashes at the bottom of water-slides keeping you distracted from the alcohol burn. Think of colors and sunshine while you snuggle into your beach towel for a pleasant tan.
Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash
NOSE:
Sugar crystals and a spiced honey and maple greet the nose on the first inhale, lacking an alcohol punch. Deeper draws wake up a warm cinnamon with just a dash of black pepper and clove. I can pull vanilla also, which blends nicely with a surprisingly light, floral note. When I really look, I can detect a fruit here, decidedly a crisp apple. At the end of the inhale, there is a subtle pine wood. Don’t think Christmas trees – just a soft and mellow wood. Though the nose can sting, it’s actually quite unaggressive while still being warm and inviting.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Oily, oily, oily, oily. First thing I noticed.
– Balance: Alcohol is a touch overpowering, but other flavors are well-blended.
– Visual: Terracotta pot in color, there is perhaps the most perfect crown I’ve ever seen – no drops or legs in sight.
– Taste: An aggressive alcohol wakes up on the first sip, making me actually cough a little in surprise (read: I don’t remember the last time a bourbon ever made me do that). When I try to get past the alcohol heat, there are some floral notes waiting, but back-lighted against the heat, it’s hard to distinguish an exact flower.
Once I get used to it, I find some cherries, black pepper and the cinnamon from the nose. There is a gingerbread component also, mixed with brown sugar, dark vanilla custard and even bittersweet dark chocolate. It’s certainly a complex bourbon – even including a Red Hots candy element, but also a strange, almost seasoned jerky bit too. Nevertheless, it’s seems very well-balanced. Wood is here as well, but in a fiery char kind of way more than anything.
A Kentucky chew is I-N-T-E-N-S-E, with pine char emerging amidst a strong alcohol burn. My salivary glands are sent into overdrive to combat the heat/(pain?), leaving little room for other flavors to speak up and make their presence known.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Very long. The warmth is there on the first sip and is here to stay. Be careful – the Kentucky Hug on this one is PAINFUL if you’re not paying attention.
– Between Sips: Apples and jerky (maybe more like a smoky bacon) sit between sips and trick you thinking you’re having a meal.
– No More: The alcohol certainly doesn’t mellow out as I get further into the glass, continuously giving me Kentucky Hug after Hug. I wish I could taste a bit more of the other flavors beside the alcohol, but this is still a solid and complex bourbon.
The empty Glencairn is a warm and caramelly oak. I quite like it and the alcohol presence is diminished here, fore sure.
WORTH THE PRICE?
It would take a really bad offering from the EC Barrel Proof line to make me ever say that they aren’t worth the price. If you aren’t big on heat, I’d probably refrain from Elijah Craig Barrel Proofs altogether, but if you are a high proof lover, C919 could easily become a new favorite and worthy of being added to the collection.
RATING: 92/100
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