Elijah Craig Barrel Select Bourbon (Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience)

Neat. Neck pour. I’m excited for this. I’ve heard good things and I love these little barrel bottle grenades. This almost started in tragedy though. Didn’t realize this was a screw top and tried to uncork it... it almost spilled everywhere but my cheetah like reflexes saved it. I’m sure the extra adrenaline will only enhance the tasting. On the nose, there is a surprising port like note I got going in. This might trick me if it were blind. Oak and buttery pie crust are really dominating. Charred creme brûlée sweetness. Some strawberry. Oh, I like this. A less aggressive and oaky ECBP. The proof come across lower than 125. Getting a nice toffee note in the back mixed with a hint of chocolate like a Heath bar even. Lots to pick out here, it’s a fun nose. Velvety texture, quite thick. Creme brûlée coming through all over the tongue immediately. Getting the pie crust there too. Transitions into one of the richest deepest caramel notes I have had which then transitions further into a chocolate only to pull a 180 and turn into vanilla on the legs. Nice nuttiness on the finish too. Wow, that peanut butter is coming through so strong in subsequent sips. Creme brûlée is disappearing and now it’s a delicious buckeye. The nuttiness on the nose now is so dominant I am not sure how it didn’t pop up before. Finding a very nice rye note now too. Oh man, buckeyes. I love buckeyes, top 3 desert for me. I don’t recall ever calling a bourbon a buckeye. I don’t recall getting chocolate on a Beam product and if I did it was it’s only distinct note in the experience and not combined with the peanut butter at the same time. This pour makes me happy. One of the best Elijah Craig products I have had.

Wish I had picked up another one of these the next day I visited the distillery but to my disappointment I did not. As others have described this is a very rich and sweet pour and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve not had a real creme brûlée so I can’t say for sure that’s what I got but I got what I imagine it would be along with toffee and butterscotch. The mouthfeel was very viscous and satisfying and the finish was medium at best. I will say that I enjoyed this one more at the beginning before it opened up where I feel like the nose kind of went flat.

The nose definitely packs a punch with the high proof coming to meet you right out of the gate. Once you get past that you get some classic HH notes of vanilla and brown sugar, with the tiniest hint of candied apples. On the palate you get a quick hit of corn, but then the pepper spice comes in hot and heavy quickly after. There is also cream corn notes, but the spice overtakes all. The finish is a long, warm, and pleasant Kentucky hug.

Tasted in a blind lineup and this grenade came in second (only to Coy Hill). I do not remember the exact notes I tasted as it has been some time, but I do remember this being an atypical heaven hill profile. Lighter fruit expressions, drank below it’s proof, and a very cohesive dram. I gave it a 91/100 . One of the best Heaven Hill products I have tried to date. Thank you @tbran19 for the dram!!

ThatBourbondude just came back from a whirlwind tour of Elijah Craig Country. Yesterday, as we're tasting through some new Bourbons in the conference room, he whips out this gem. This bourbon encompasses all of those EC traits including sweet caramel toffee with notes of sweet roasted oak. Long finish, very little overpowering heat. Love this bourbon! My taste profile!

Nose is pretty nutty, like a lot of Elijah Craig offerings, but ends on a note of strawberry and oats. Palate is way spicier than you’d expect from the nose. Lots of nuts and oak, finished out with rye spice. Medium-long finish, with notes of banana and black pepper.