Brian’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 Bourbon Review:
reviewed on 30-November-2021
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF C921 BOURBON REVIEW:
First I must say since Batch C917, I’ve enjoyed the nine previous ECBP offerings I have had. However, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 (ECBP C921) sets a new low for me. From nose to finish the bourbon in this bottle is convoluted. At 120 proof, the nose has little if any heat, yet the pour packs a punch at the back of the palate and on the finish. I sense fruit on the nose but can taste only traces. The reverse is true for spices and although sweet aromas can be sensed in the mouth and finish, any woodiness I get is faint. I am still happy to have a back up bottle in the bunker, but at $70 a bottle, I will pass if I see another.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF C921 BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Small Batch Barrel Proof
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill/Bernheim Distillery
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: 12 Years
Non-chill filtered
ABV: 60.1% (120.2 Proof)
Availability: Tri-annual Limited Release
Release Date: September 2021
Batch number identifier: C921
▪”C” Third (last) release of the year
▪”9″ Released in September
▪”21″ Released in 2021
Price: $69.95 (Fall 2021, Idaho)
NABCA CSC #: 17917
Learn more at https://heavenhill.com/.
PREPARATION:
Taken out of the newly opened bottle, the first one and a half ounces mixed with the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I partook this bourbon neat for the first part of the review.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF C921 NOSE:
Upon first nosing ECBP C921 offers a quick nip of alcohol but it fades and does not come back. There is some sherry tannin, herbal roasted corn husks and dusty grain but the usual floral notes I get with Heaven Hill products. As I continue to nose, I sense an unusual mix of fresh caramel apples, apricots, dried currants and the faint aroma of ripening bananas one might get as they are passed by in the produce aisle. Even so, there is an interesting blend of baking spices at work here. Cinnamon and white pepper back brown sugar and apple filled pastry covered with vanilla icing. Adding to the confusion, I also sense a simple but buttery brown syrup drizzled over yellow cake. This bourbon smells sweet as there is only a bit of light and dry toasted oak in the background.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF C921 PALATE:
As on the nose ECBP C921 is dry, herbal, and warm. The fruit basket is all but gone although I get a taste of apples dipped in caramel topped with the dried currants. The baking spices have diminished as well although cinnamon and black pepper attempt to garner attention. But like on the nose, vanilla and buttery caramel are center stage and dominate toasted, almost charred oak.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Each sip of ECBP C921 is oily and viscous, and easy to hold but when swallowed, gives the tongue and throat a mild tickle. There is much more alcohol on the palate than I get on the nose. For me, C921 is a disjointed bourbon. Its sweetness overpowers the fruit, spice, and wood elements. After each sip, the curtain breaks inside the Glencairn allowing long clinging legs to transport the liquid back to the terracotta colored pool leaving behind a thin drop free crown ring.
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF C921 FINISH:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 Bourbon offers a medium but warm and dry finish. It is even a bit prickly in the throat when swallowed as cinnamon and pepper mix with the rye. The sweet buttery caramel detected on the nose and tasted on the palate finishes at the end of each swallow. Yet, there is a somewhat unpleasant herbal and earthy aftertaste which competes with faint dry toasted oak as sips are taken. And when the last dram is downed, nothing but sweet light oak is all I can draw from the empty Glencairn.
THE ADDITION OF WATER
Water can often tame big, bold whiskeys and allow aromas and flavors to bloom. The addition of 2-4 drops will not radically lower the proof of the pour. Re-evaluation of ECBP C921 occurred using measured pours and precise amounts of distilled water to measure the effect.
Adding two drops to 1.5 ounces of this bourbon reduces the proof to 119.75 (down from the 120.1 bottling). ECBP C921 still has a quick nip of alcohol at first but it is manageable. The water does not dampen the herbal roasted corn husks and dusty grain and although faint I still sense fresh caramel apples. The cinnamon and brown sugared apple pie filling is inviting. Still sweet, there is only a bit of toasted oak to tie it all together. The first sip confirms my suspicion — A couple drops of water make C921 better! Flavors of fruit are more distinct as the baking spices and sweets. There is a bit of bitter oakiness but with the drops, ECBP C921 has a much nicer finish.
Adding four drops to 1.5 ounces of bourbon lowers the proof to 119.4. Upon first nosing the four drop dram, ECBP C921 I get full on caramel, maybe with a hint of salt. Gone is the alcohol, and even the fruit notes take a back seat. The baking spices seem to even enhance woody aromas making me want to take a sip. With the four drop sip in comes the Heaven Hill floral notes although they are quite faint. The blossoms add balance to the dry corn and grain and even allow the baking spices of cinnamon and white pepper to bolster pleasant fresh apple aromas. Even the oak seems stronger and less bitter. I will be adding water to future pours of ECBP C921.
MY RATING: 85/100;
… with two drops 87/100;
… with four drops 89/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
While all Elijah Craig Barrel Proof offerings differ, and some do not reach the standard I’ve come to expect, I will buy other offerings as I find them. And remember, water can be your friend.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
As enjoyed neat, click 85/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
Water dramatically improves Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921. Click 89/100 to access other whiskies in this tier.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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