Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch A124

Nothing like watching people lose their minds because last trimester we got a 13 year ECBP and this time around it’s 10 Years 9 Months. Do you see me clutching my pearls over here? How dare they! I’ve never seen people so polarized over something that matters so very little. I just read a review that started out panning this: this tastes nothing like the ECBP I know! It’s abrasive! It’s too oaky, too leathery, too gamy. *****, please. Maybe I can scoff at you because then never got our regions shipment of C923 in. So I had to make do with tasting A123 and B523 but had to skip over what was supposedly the be-all end-all ECBP, the one to define generations and give instant orgasms upon sipping. But I have to admit….this tastes a lot like…ECBP. Except, okay, I’m going to admit, it’s actually maybe not quite as good as those other two barrels I mentioned being able to get my hands on. Doesn’t pack quite the same robustness of flavor or complexity. I’ll throw you a bone there. Maybe this isn’t the 4.5 star or 4.25 stars I gave those two. Maybe this is just a 4 star or even a (gasp!) 3.75 ECBP. Again, I’m clutching my pearls. How dare they give us a very good bourbon instead of the excellent bourbon I’ve come to expect as my right? Let’s hold their feet to the fire! Everybody got their pitchforks ready? We got spice and oak on the nose here. Not a whole lot of sweetness, and usually you do get some vanilla and caramel on the nose with ECBP, so yes, it’s lacking in that respect. The mouthfeel is good through and the caramel comes through there as well as the cinnamon from the nose carrying over, though a lot of the fruit you get is also missing with the usual ECBP. So yes, it’s lacking in that respect, if this is what you’re looking for. The finish is nice and spicy and long and decent, so it’s not lacking there and pretty well adheres to the ECBP formula expectations. I’d say the main problem for most people is that this is more on the savory and less on the sweet side of bourbon, and a lot of people need their bourbon sweet enough to ruin their teeth. That might be where the divisiveness comes through on this. Me, I like savory. So while I’ll acknowledge this might not be quite as good as previous releases, I still don’t regret buying it. It’s just not one where, as with A123, I’m going to pick up a second bottle to store for posterity/future sipping. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s rare a whisky is so good that I’ll do that. This is a more than respectable outing at $75 that you really can’t go wrong with. Lament if you will that it’s not C923, but C923 is gone. This is what you have not, and soon this will be gone too. Perhaps B524 will be better? Perhaps worse? Let’s hope it doesn’t slip too much further down the quality latter because while I’m not actually clutching my pearls, I will eventually stop buying if the roundness, robustness and complexity disappear. I’m just not ready to go into panic mode yet. Then again, for as much as I like it, I've never been an ECBP believer, hanger on, proselytizer either. It's always decent value for money no matter how you square it, so I buy it, but it's never rocked my world. PS. It's hilarious that a website built for reviewing spirits that require one to be above 21 year to consume/purchase should feel the need to censor the word b*#ch. But there you go. Clutch your pearls, you old ladies. Profanity is a no-no!

HEAVEN HILL A124 SHOWDOWN ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A124 LARCENY BARREL PROOF A124 These are two different bourbons—Larceny is wheated, whereas Elijah Craig is not—but both are Heaven Hill products, both are January 2024 releases, both are barrel proof, and both are among my favorite quasi-available high-proof bourbons. I tasted these over the course of two days, with the requisite warm-up necessary to acclimate one’s palate to the high-test alcohol levels. ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF A124 Color is a rich mahogany (akin to Pantone 160). Nose shows stewed apples, gentle cinnamon, a dusty element, and mint, with a little chocolate covered cherry undernote. The palate has a slightly viscous mouthfeel, following with sweet corn a nice hit of vanilla, which lingers on the finish. The A124 isn’t among my favorite ECBP releases, especially following the otherworldly C923 (which I tasted briefly here to validate my thoughts). However, it has grown on me over the past two days. Many have been disappointed by the lower age statement—below the historical 12 years, and exacerbated by the C923’s 13 years and 7 months. All else being equal, I appreciate a higher age statement, but that doesn’t bias my assessment. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A124 can be found for around $80. On a relative basis, it’s always a good value for high-quality, age-statemented, high-proof, limited-release bourbon. Would I buy it again? Yes. I attempt to find each release each year. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 119 proof. 10-year, 9-month age statement. Non-chill filtered. LARCENY BARREL PROOF A124 Like the ECBP, Larceny Barrel Proof presents as rich, dark mahogany in terms of color (Pantone 160). The nose is warm and inviting, with butterscotch and caramel notes, hot chocolate, and a whiff of Chinese-five-spice coolness. There is a light and smooth glycerin aspect that coats the mouth, with sweet vanilla. There are no hard edges, and the alcohol is well-integrated. The back end has Nutella, oak, and espresso elements, and the hot chocolate reemerges on the finish, which has good length. The LBP A124 is very good. It’s a little less expensive than its older cousin, ECBP, and can be found for around $70. Would I buy it again? Yes. Like the ECBP, I look for each of the three releases during the year. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. 124.2 proof. 6-8 year age statement. Non-chill filtered. CONCLUSION The purpose of these Showdowns is not to establish winners and losers per se, but rather to be more of an intellectual exercise to explore the contextual aspects of bourbon aesthetics: whiskies of all types will taste differently in comparison with others. (This was taken to an extreme by Fred Minnick, when he tasted all of the bourbons in his Top 100 for 2023 in one sitting—not advisable, even when spitting, which he did. But I digress). In general, the LBP has a greater warmth, depth, and richness than its ECBP cousin. It’s on the cusp of being very, very good. For the A124 release, I prefer it to the ECBP—despite the different mashbills. Fortunately, LBP hasn’t quite caught up with ECBP amongst the bourbonati, and as a result it’s somewhat more available (and less expensive). All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Color: Medium Copper-Amber. Nose: Mmm! Molasses or maple(?) I can never pin-point it. Something akin to "citrus". Slightest hint of "alcohol". Great nose that bodes well for the palate... Palate: From the first sip, you get quite a big hit of spice... yes... very spice-forward, this one. Comes in slightly hotter than some higher proofs I've had. Mild chest hug ensues, but fades fairly quickly. Mildly sweet... getting a decent amount of barrel char. I've always been more of a fan of "sweet" over "spicy". But I'm rather enjoying this. It's very woody/spicy. Almost "bitter", but not in an off-putting way. Waiting for the profile to reveal more as the ice melts into it, but it's maintaining it's spice-forward character. Let's see what pour #2 might bring with it... Pour #2 starts out pretty similar to the first. Still a spice bomb. I'd read others mention, "butterscotch", but I'm not getting that — not tonight at least. There's not been much "evolution" to speak of from the second pour. So maybe this one is not going to change. Finish: I'd say it's a medium finish with the predominant spice stealing the show. Final Thoughts: Ok. This is a tricky one. EC has never let me down in the past. Along with the 94 Proof "base model", I've had the B522, B523, and the heralded C923. I've dug them all. I'm going to say this is "good". I'm not wowed by it, but I'm also not going to disparage it, either. Knowing what I know now, would I spend more than the wholly reasonable price I paid for it? No. I actually got it for less than what I've seen it go for. So thst alone makes it a worthwhile purchase. Will be curious to see if it does ultimately evolve and "open up" with subsequent pours. But as of tonight, it gets a 3.75. Added 8/24: I am nearly finished with my bottle of A124. I've quite enjoyed the four glasses I have poured myself tonight. It's a very "robust" bourbon. There are flavors in its profile that I can't really specify without just throwing something out there for the sake of trying to. "Spice" and "Oak" are the main features here. It's a fine batch, and I'm bumping my original 3.75 up to 4.0.

Ahh A124. The youngest ECBP to date. Is this truly worthy of all the hate? Let’s find out. Nose is definitely subdued with candied orange, minerals, cinnamon, berry, sweet corn, and…not much else. Really pesky ethanol keeps coming in and making things worse. Not a good start. (Ok after a while the mineral note vanished and ethanol decreased. Weird.) Thank goodness things improve massively on the palate; butterscotch, black cherry, soft mature oak, nutmeg, tobacco, and brown sugar. Flavors are less punchy than I am used to from this expression, but also well integrated and rounded. Finish gets even better with caramel, vanilla creme, cinnamon sugar, creme brûlée burnt sugar, white pepper, chocolate, oak, mint, leather, and barrel char. Honestly, a great blend of sweet and spicy notes here. On the longer side of medium. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a hint of effervescence which actually serves this pretty well. Let’s get something straight; this is NOT an inferior release. Just…different. Where as often times ECBP bludgeons you, this one is a gentleman. Comes across a little more like a “daily drinker” type whiskey vs a “special occasion” bottle and while that is a departure for the line it’s not a bad thing if you ask me. Anyone who says this is shitty because it doesn’t have a 12+ year age statement is smoking crack. At $89.99, there’s nothing to find serious fault with here as I’ve paid a lot more for a lot less. Bring on B524.

I wasn't planning on trying this bourbon tonight. There was one pour left in my Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Batch Proof 118.4, and it came across hot, so I wanted to compare it to a bourbon with similar ABV (almost identical at 119.0). Nose exhibits aromas of caramel, pomander, cool spearmint, and Cracker Jack, as well as a savory, slightly salty peanut aspect that I didn't get on my previous note (3/27/24). It has a roundness on the palate, with more caramel on the finish, and a warming Kentucky Hug. The alcohol is very well-integrated. This ECBP, while not as complex as previous editions, is nevertheless well balanced and smooth, with good depth of flavor. The ECBP A124 got some flak on release, given the relatively low age statement of 10 years, 9 months--lower than the 12 years of previous ECBP offerings, and well below the 13+ years of the C923 that immediately preceded it. Tasted blind and removing that bias, it wouldn't matter. This is very good bourbon. ECBP on the whole is one of my favorite bourbons, and I try to get at least one of each of the triannual releases. Would I but it again? Yes. 4.25 on the Distiller scale.

Welcome to 2024. The rent's too high, I'll never own a home, and my 2015 car I guess has to last me the next 10 years! But at least bourbon hasn't changed? Oh wait...ECBP is now not 12 years old? They are lower proof at under 120 proof? OK we're all having to accept a changing time, but not lower standards. We just gotta accept times are hard. Nose - Classic heaven hill vanilla and light corn over a bit of spice from the rickhouse. It's simple at first. Taste - Rich, but leaning towards sour and drying. Then on the finish a lot of really big smokey oak....not bad but different. Lets jump right to water. So we have classic ECBP here again! Nutty, rich, buttery, light smoke, and just classic vanilla caramel with some hints of leather and oak. This is just another meh ECBP, but anyone jumping on this has some falling off beyond what we've had for years...just an alarmist. You don't need this one. But you'll be happy to have it if you love bourbon. 75 bucks for me with 500 points. This doesn't wow me given that point aspect but no regrets! Not sure if I'm holding myself to my standards but 2.75 feels fine. 2.5-2.75.