Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Barrel Proof

This is my third bottle of ECBP and I've been a fan so far. The 2 batches I reviewed last year were probably 2 of the best 3 bourbons I've had (only topped by George T Stagg). Let's see how A519 stacks up.

This batch is a little down on proof at 61.1% but we're still talking high octane stuff. Bottle has been opened about a month and is 90% full. Neat in a glencairn.

Nose: There is just so much going on here. Let's start with the cake icing (frosting for some of you). Chocolate and vanilla icing on top of yellow cake is the primary player here. Followed by red apple. Then the nuts. Acorns, pecans and walnuts. This is followed by just a hint of pine sap and bbq pork This packs flavour without packing too much heat. This is noticably lower proof than the other 2 batches but still has plenty of flavour.

Palate: This is where I can tell this is a high proof whiskey. After you get accustomed to the proof the flavours start flowing down. That chocolate is really the king of this castle. Definately a big dose of chocolate, mocha and nuts. A bit bready too, like whole wheat sliced bread with a chocolate and nutty spread. Rich, sweet and big.

Finish: More nutty than chocolaty on the finish but both elements are still there.

Overall: This is a big, sweet, rich whiskey and continues the deliciousness of the previous offerings. If I had to rank all 3 that I own, I would put this above B518 but below C918(which is still arguably the best American whiskey I've had). I can't wait to try more releases.

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