Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C920

Rating: 15/23 N: A surprising, light cinnamon roll scent up front, including a moderate layer of that classic Cinnabon icing. A bit of tart yeastiness. That's about it though. Oh, after a couple of minutes, some sour mash bitterness starts coming through. I start to pick up light notes of polished wood as well. This is still quite a light nose. A little bit of earthiness with some turmeric to it, then some lightish wood with tannins and spices. Sadly, I'm not getting the cinnamon roll anymore. The nose is still pretty light, but it's less fun and enjoyable. It's still thoroughly serviceable though. P: This combines the lightness and burn that sometimes afflict Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches into one profile that is really not doing it for me. I do get wood and spices and some bittersweet chocolate, but I also get copper pennies, even early on. The cinnamon rolls are not to be found here. Wow, those copper pennies are pervasive. They overwhelm the bitterness and yeasty funk of the sour mash and also mask the wood. F: Bitterness. Copper pennies are unavoidable, but there is a bit more wood now. The spices also get a little more time here and the chocolate comes back for a brief encore. - Conclusion - This is just a rough release that isn't living up to the usual quality of this brand. It's still a good bourbon, but it's not of the quality that it should be. Resilient 15 (18/23) crushes this with its lesser bitterness and weird flavors being limited to its vitamin minerality. The Resilient is sweeter and more enjoyable with much less burn. This isn't really more complex either. And this certainly isn't more balanced. I could maybe believe a 17, but that would really be a hard sell. My cask strength bottling of Garrison Brothers Single Barrel (15/23) is pretty close to this in quality. It's fuller and without the rough edges. Sure, it isn't quite as complex, but it honestly isn't that far off and this is really rough. I'm actually considering that this might be inferior. So what about regular ol' Elijah Craig Small Batch (15/23)? Well, it certainly tastes younger. It's more sweet and fun, with minimal challenge to it. It's in the same category as Knappogue Castle 12 for just relaxing and enjoying a glass. This, on the other hand, is challenging. I like challenging sometimes. This is not one of those times. This is more akin to challenging for the sake of being challenging. I'll admit that the comparison with regular Elijah Craig is a bit difficult because of the proof difference, but the Garrison Brothers also seems like it could be a bit better, so this might be a 14. Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23) is lighter than this in a way that makes it slightly watery in comparison, but it's complex with good (though stylized) balance. The Russell's also doesn't burn nearly as much as this does. I'm inclined to say that the Russell's is a bit better. I would take this over either of the Larceny Barrel Proofs I've tried any day of the week though, so there's no way that this is as low as a 13. Elijah Craig C920 was always pretty much guaranteed to be a let-down considering that it was following the amazing B520. That said, this isn't just a let-down in comparison; it's a fairly low point for the Elijah Craig line. It's a 14 or a 15, which is just shameful. My inclination right now is to give this a 15, but I can imagine the burn bringing it down from there to a 14. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for sharing this one!

The nose starts with caramelized bananas, sour cherries, flapjacks cooked in bacon drippings and slightly worn catchers mitt then dark chocolate covered hazelnuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, lemon candy and orange zest followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and mildly bitter black tea with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with caramelized bananas, sour cherries, flapjacks cooked in bacon drippings and slightly worn catchers mitt then a moderate to high bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to a spicy mocha and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, lemon pith and orange peel followed by ginger, spearmint, anise, cloves and over-brewed black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a mild black pepper spice, cocoa nibs, sour cherries, lemon zest, cloves, spearmint, leather and ashy oak. Overall, another tasty Elijah Craig release, but a far step down from the B520. The traditional bourbon notes are ramped up by the proof but the fruits are on the sour side along with a bitter black tea note and a rough spice that overwhelms much of the palate and finishes with bitter and sour mix. I tend to be more sensitive toward sour and bitter flavors than most which threw the balance of this one off for me, but I could see someone less prone to those flavors find a lot to like here. A huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample.

Nose has dark fruit, toffee, caramel, vanilla, oak, char, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. There is some ethanol, but less than what you would expect. On the palate two words; smoked. fruits. If that sounds delicious, it is. Plum, cherry, and grape run through a smoker. But don’t think that’s all that’s here; we also have salted caramel, vanilla ice cream, and peanut brittle. Richness and complexity abound. Finish comes gently with all the flavors of the palate still kicking, but add oak, maple, pink peppercorn, and more smokey goodness almost reminiscent of backyard barbecue. Don’t let that description scare you; it’s very subtle and well integrated. Definitely falls into the “long” category but not amazingly so. Mouthfeel is a little unique as well; syrupy and coating upfront, but ends with a drying effect as it finishes. Full disclosure: all tasting notes with a splash of water added as otherwise it’s just too aggressive to get all the nuances. That said you don’t need to be a chemist to enjoy; just add a splash as seemingly any amount of water opens it up to large degree. One of the best ECBP I’ve had (out of five) and easily ranks up there with Stagg Jr. At $70 ECBP is consistently one of the best values around, a secret I hope doesn’t get out because I’d hate to see this become an allocated product. Looking forward to A121.

Neat. Neck pour. B520 is one of my favorite pours of the year, top 3 in my favorite of 2020 based on a recent blind. I heard many people like C920 even more. So highly anticipated here. Sweet oak leads the nose and it is very nice. Drenched in royal icing. Hints of chocolate and peanut butter. Getting this bright, fresh eucalyptus - not a note I associate with ECBP. There is a metallic note too. Neck pour on this is hot. Going to need to wait a week before blinding against B520... Thick and syrupy texture, all brown sugar, cinnamon and royal icing on the tongue. Very sweet. And hot. It’s all chocolate and peanut butter mid palate. Transitions to a peanut brittle and leaves with the oak. Oak turns a bit tannic on the tail end of the finish but just drying and not off putting. Huge Kentucky hug building too. Just oily and slow running all the way down. Delicious but this is no B520 off memory. I think A120 left a stronger impression too. It’s a good pour, but it’s not a hitter that can compete with $150-$200 bottles like B520.

Open 4 weeks Nose - Dense, rich brown sugar and cinnamon, dark chocolate, artificial cherry, snickerdoodles and gingerbread, light corn dust, surprisingly light oak and ethanol. Palate - This is dense sugary syrup on the tongue. Maple cinnamon candy, crème brulee, chocolate covered cherries, almost no hint of ethanol. Finish is long and oily, sweet oak, light cherry mint (cough drops), and finally the proof rears its head. This is another outstanding ECBP batch, tied with B520 as my favorite ECBP releases so far (I've had 5 at this point). There may not be a better buy in high proof bourbon. I've never had any BTAC product, but it's increasingly more exasperating and hilarious the depths people go to find and pay for BTAC when this is widely available. Is barrel proof Stagg, Weller, or EH Taylor that much better? I'll probably never know at this rate, but I think I'll be satisfied grabbing 3 ECBPs per year.

Dark, ruddy amber, very sticky. Nose is baking spices, toffee, mint, tart fruit and rye mustiness. Reminiscent of cacao dusted pecans and a Mexican mocha. Deglet noor dates. Even with a good splash of water, there's still a lot of heat here. Dry oak, lots of spices (clove) and more burnt caramel. Long finish notes really become out with another splash of water: cinnamon, chocolate and toasted coconut. This is really a great way to experience a whiskey that "opens up" with the addition of water. It's big and complex, but almost too bright, hot and acidic for my preference. Revisited a 3rd time... Got the fruit this time. Berries or cherries of the more tart variety... the brown sugar I get, too. After looking at all of my ratings of 3.75 and 4, I can't NOT put this at a 4. It's massive, juicy and has an incredible drawn out finish. It may not be my favorite, but it deserves a 4, without a doubt.