Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C921

Nose is rich and full with pecan, nutmeg, caramel, vanilla, allspice, cinnamon. ginger, clove, Fuji apple, and oak. Ethanol is minimal. Palate offers all the spices in the nose (so as not to be redundant see above) along with some burnt sugars, cashew nut, tobacco, gooey caramel, bakers chocolate, and blackberry. Definitely punchy. Finish is extremely long featuring barrel char, leather, semi-astringent oak, fiery chili pepper, and a hint of peppermint. There’s some alcohol heat here and a sharp and prickly mouthfeel that doesn’t do this any favors. Ends very dry. So, I love these expressions. That said, there are desserty versions, fruity versions, and spicy versions, and this falls into the latter category with a good deal of hot baking spice notes. Very “autumn”. Finish was harsher than I would have wanted, although I admit it’s a minor flaw. At $80, these continue to be an insane value in todays market. Buy with no reservations, knowing that at worst (like this one) you’re still getting a 4 out of 5.

Open 2 weeks Nose - Cinnamon, gingerbread, black tea, caramel, molasses, crushed blackberries, strong oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Vanilla glazed gingerbread cookie, chocolate covered oranges, thick caramel, berry pie, hints of honey and tea, sweet oak, and light ethanol up front. Finish is medium-long with lots of sweet oak, baking spices, black tea, candied oranges, and notable ethanol bite at the back end. Whew, I was getting worried about ECBP this year after two lackluster batches. This is a return to form and what ECBP enthusiasts expect with each new batch. It is better than A121, and leagues better than B521. I think it compares favorably with the 2020 releases, but I don't have any on hand. It's good enough that I already bought a second this past week. They're still one of the best buys in bourbon if the batch is good, and this is well worth it.

Was worried this wouldn't match prior ECBP releases based on reviews I'd read. Happily I was wrong! Nose has plenty of heat at first, but let it breathe and adjust your senses. You'll find it full of apple cider, rich vanilla, cloves, fresh oak and cherries. Palate is viscous and chewy, and it pretty much tastes like it smells: caramel, cinnamon buns, hot cider, honey, a little chocolate. Long, dense finish is flush with honey, vanilla, and caramel, with lots of oak and spices to avoid leaving too sweet a taste in your mouth. The whole process is remarkably consistent, yet complex. Distiller's review got one thing right - it tastes like fall, in the best possible way. Does it top some prior releases? Probably not, but its damn close. 100% worth a buy.

The nose is a sweet mix of charred oak, marshmallow, vanilla rye spice and hotter notes of baking spices. It comes across very delectable as a dessert, while having those hotter notes of bourbon. It is so to the point in what it is the only thing left to do in short order is to have a taste. The palate is is somewhat dry and chewy, with a intense burst of baking spices, charred oak and rye spice. As with the nose it is very straightforward and to the point. The sweeter notes of marshmallow and vanilla rounded out and make for incredible taste. The finish is medium long with a lingering pepperiness as charred oak and marshmallow fade.

Deep copper color. The nose has heavy vanilla, dark cherries, honey, Dr Pepper cola, charred cinnamon stick and sweet oak. Heavy-bodied mouthfeel. The palate is oaky and spicy, dominated up front by the sweet oak, then vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and ground nutmeg, with hints of cherry cola, roasted peanuts, leather, black pepper and bittersweet chocolate sprinkled with sea salt. The finish is medium-long and hot, again dominated by the oak but more dry and tannic than the palate, with more baking spices and a little leather.

Neck pour, totally digging this…..very nice balance between sweetness and oak, with nice spice notes across the palate. Very creamy mouth feel, one of the creamiest Bourbons I’ve had in recent memory. Warm, but not hot…super drinkable. Really looking forward to see how it evolves, expecting something special. Blows B521 out of the water….I remember the A521 being solid, but this one makes a great first impression. Planning to grab another one or two of the C921 if I can. Don’t hesitate to pull the trigger on this one.