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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C919 Review

Posted on 18-June-202028-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

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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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review

Posted on 12-March-202028-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review

Original review written March 10, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review: A bourbon I hadn’t had in a while, I forgot how much I enjoy this, with spiciness and baking sweets consistently making me excited for the next sip. 90/100

VITALS:

– Made: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=75%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 66.7% (133.4 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:

This bourbon makes me want to visit the salt flats in the Andes Mountain Range – light and free, but simultaneously deep and rich. The air is cool, but charged and the world’s wonders seem impossible to contemplate in such a pure atmosphere.

Photo by Christopher Crouzet on Unsplash

NOSE:

I’m met with a velvety soft, sugary warmth that screams bourbon right off the bat. Gentle caramel and black pepper combine with a roasted corn-on-the-cob element, with the alcohol surprisingly not being too aggressive.

There’s a little bit of maybe grapefruit, but it’s barely there, and I struggle to sense any other fruits. I can pull brown sugar, graham crackers, maple and perhaps vanilla taffy. Oak is here too, but I’d say that it’s a bit masked by all of these baking-esque flavors.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This is very oily and viscous, perhaps among the most oily bourbons I have ever tasted, which is certainly impressive.
– Balance: Only the slightest bit heavy on salt. Otherwise, this is a solid blend.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, and the numerous thick legs drop pretty quickly.

– Taste: The alcohol hits hard initially; however, it is quickly overtaken by a grassy sensation that then melts into cherries. The grassy aspect has a black pepper influence to it that makes it interesting.

I find rye, both as a raw grain and also as a yeasty bread that could have some dried fruits (fig?) embedded in it. In this sense, B518 seems quite hardy and something I’d like to munch on.

I get a nuttiness as well, maybe like cashews – salted at that, as there is a mouth-watering component here akin to how I’d feel after eating some potato chips (obviously just the sensation – not the flavor).

The cherries have not faded, and they mix well with fresh cut oak still retaining its moisture.

As for baking sweets mentioned from the nose, I can taste mostly just light maple syrup and brown sugar. The vanilla and caramel are a bit more subdued now, but nevertheless, these flavors make for an enjoyable pour!

A Kentucky chew kicks the black pepper and saltiness into high gear, which solidifies the aged and intense character of this bourbon.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Definitely long, with the spices and warmth both contributing to a lingering sensation in my mouth and chest. It CAN come back unexpectedly to give you an unwanted and powerful Kentucky hug, so be careful!
– Between Sips: Saltiness, cherries, oak and black pepper wait at the end of each sip, and I have nothing to complain about.

– No More: The bourbon becomes a solid warmth with only hints of spices and cherry flavors the further into the glass I get. It could be more flavorful, I suppose, but I never mind a traditional feel-good bourbon warmth.

The empty Glencairn is an unassuming oak that is aged and full of warmth and with a story all of its own to tell.

COMPARISON NOTES:

I experimented with this bourbon a bit, and pit it up against other tri-annual iterations of Barrel Proof batches: A118 and C917. B518 was my second favorite, with C917 being my favorite of the three.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I think that $60 is a fair price for this bourbon, but I’m hesitant to say that it is worth being priced much higher. It may be difficult to find now (2020); however, if you are able to find it, I do recommend the purchase.

RATING: 90/100

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Click 90/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
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Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #1 Review

Posted on 03-March-202028-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

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

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 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.

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

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

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