Hannah’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 Review
Original review written on November 30, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Not as impressed with this ECBP batch as I have been with others in the past. Baking flavors abound, but there is a bitterness that makes it less thrilling to sip. 78/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=78%; Rye=10%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 60.1% (120.2 proof)
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho (2021)
Visit heavenhill.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review of this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I imagine this ECBP would fit well on a beach on a cloudy, cold day. It wouldn’t be overbearing, but it would be certainly present while you walk amidst the dark, cool tone colors. Its color and character both brighten and blend into the scenery around you and work to definitely complete the picture.
Photo by Alexander Kaufmann on Unsplash
NOSE:
This smells readily of woody caramel, vanilla cake, and corn. There is even a vanilla icing – a pure vanilla icing with powdered sugar nearly crystalized. I’m reminded of the drizzle that goes on pastry turnovers (maybe turnovers with baked cherries). I still find a light brown sugar, and even a yeasty/bready component to go with these other baking flavors. What I cannot detect is any type of spice – even a baking spice like cinnamon or ginger. It’s just solid sweet and mellow, woody earthiness.
The alcohol is almost nonexistent to my nose, even on deep inhales, though it is on these deep inhales that I can coax out a touch of cinnamon that is not-quite smoky, but close. As a whole, this bourbon smells good, but it doesn’t quite smell like traditional ECBP, which is more spice and fruit forward.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: I find a kick at the back of the palate, but otherwise, it’s viscous.
– Balance: I wish this had more roots in other flavor profiles; this seems disconnected and confused.
– Visual: Terracotta pot in color, this has many small droplets that form the shape of the ring and very few legs.
– Taste: This tastes a lot hotter than how it smells, and it’s slightly jolting. It’s not burning or unbearable with its heat, but as a sipper who was anticipating softness, given the nose, I feel like I need a bit of recalibrating. After I adapt, I can notice that the pastry from the nose is still present, and there is a heightened sense of cinnamon as well. In fact, the cinnamon seems to have grown enough to turn almost bitter, especially on the aftertaste. The bitterness also has a burnt caramel essence, but definitely heavy cinnamon is the strongest contributor.
I don’t think this palate is particularly complex. There is still plenty of baking sweetness, from the aforementioned cinnamon (though it comes with bitterness included), vanilla, and even some cake. But I don’t detect strong fruits or others spices to work with this sweetness. The only company is that bitterness, and I’m not sure I entirely enjoy that.
I can adapt to the alcohol burn, and now it does not seem too harsh. What it is grounded to – whether that be other flavors or wood – that is a mystery. It doesn’t seem connected to much. The Kentucky chew I think is the biggest thing to revive this bourbon. While the alcohol stings significantly, it does bring out more fruit – decidedly cherries and plums – and overall character.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Short-medium. I get more of an aftertaste than anything specifically warming.
– Between Sips: The bitterness lingers the most between sips, and without significant bourbon warmth to match it, it disappoints in this category unfortunately.
– No More: This does improve the further into the glass I get, with more fruit, like baked apples coming into play. I don’t think they are strong enough necessarily to remove the bitterness, but it helps.
The empty Glencairn has perhaps one of the softest, sweet oaks I’ve encountered in an empty glass. I only find significant aroma on deep inhales, having to practically hunt for it. I’m not used to this in an empty glass, and again – I’m a bit let down.
THE ADDITION OF WATER
– This section written on November 13, 2021 –
Water can often tame 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 allowing the aromas and flavors to bloom. As such, 2 and 4 drops of distilled water were added to their own respective 1.5 oz. pours of ECBP C921 to detect any potential differences:
This glass smells a lot more of spice and rye on the nose than it did neat. Some of the baking flavors, like vanilla, woody caramel, and cake are still present, but I am now finding more notes of allspice and figs to complement. I’m already more impressed with this than I was on the neat nose. On the taste, I still find a lot of the bitter from the neat tasting here as well. This bitterness seems to derive from the wood, being definitely piney in nature. Nevertheless, this offering is far superior to than what it was neat. The finish is even better, being much warmer having some fruit notes as well. (RATING: 86/100)
This smells now even more fruit and rich, warm spices with four drops added. There’s also a sudden savory component with a dash of saltiness to match the sweet, like salted caramel. This element is so minor, it’s easy to miss and ignore it though; it simply adds a bit of an extra backbone to the rest of the nose. On the palate, I get a zing of baking sweetness that goes straight to the salivary glands. It’s cinnamon, clove, and still plenty of caramel. The bitterness is far more subdued this way, though I do lose touch with some of the fruit I found with two drops. This is far superior to drinking ECBP C921 neat. (RATING: 90/100)
WORTH THE PRICE?
For a $70 bourbon, no I honestly do not think it is worth the price. For a bourbon in the ECBP lineup? Definitely not worth the $70 price tag, if you’re only drinking it neat. It’s not a bad bourbon, but if you’re coming into this thinking it’s going to be like the others in the ECBP line, prepare for some significant differences. Adding some water improves its score and makes it closer to a $70 value, for certain – whether you’re adding two, four, or even more drops. This glass improves with water, plain and simple.
We do have a couple bottles of this now reserved in our bunker, and I don’t think I’ll have a problem pouring it. However, given the contents of our bunker, I can see me reaching for many other things before reaching for this.
ELIJAH CRIAG BARREL PROOF C921 REVIEW RATING NEAT: 78/100
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