Old vs New Elijah Craig 12 year question.

[Enoch]

I have found several bottles of old (1985) Elijah Craig 12 year. I assume this is pre-fire. Has anyone done a taste comparison of new distillery vs pre-fire. I don't have any current EC12 to compare it to.

Edited July 8, 2012 by Enoch

[Young Blacksmith]

I've done a pre/post taste comparison. I find the new stuff to be sweet, vanilla, caramel, all the sweet things we find in bourbon without much wood. a little alcohol burn, but not much. My pre-fire was from around 2000, and it was much more rye forward, with the great caramel vanilla sweetness in the beginning. Kind of shocking how a sip went from sweetness and vanilla wafer'ish to a shot of rye whiskey. I liked both really, and see a spot for another in the bunker.

[Enoch]

Tonight I'm going to compare a 1986 bottle (left) with a current bottle. I'll post my observations later.

[Enoch]

While this picture doesn't show it as clearly as it looks in person. The 1986 EC12 (left) is a darker redder color while the current is clearly lighter and yellower. I'm not a master of the finer nuances of tasting but the 1986 EC12 has a richer feel and much sweeter. It also has a stronger burn than the current. The current has the distinct current EW taste profile while the 1986 taste a lot like 1980s Fighting Cock but sweeter and richer. I'm not a great fan of the current EC12 but plan on going back and getting the rest of the 1986 bottles.

PS: the cork fell apart while removing it. Because of the unusual size, I do not have a replacement. If anyone has an extra they want to part with PLMK. Thanks,

8

[Halifax]

...PS: the cork fell apart while removing it. Because of the unusual size, I do not have a replacement. If anyone has an extra they want to part with PLMK. Thanks,

PM me your addy. I'll mail you an EC12 cork.

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

With all due respect the 1986 or whatever bottle does not look like a bottle from that era. At all. How is the date being assessed? I'm sure I'm totally wrong but this just doesn't look like a bottle from the 80s at all. Maybe I'm viewing the wrong photos or am just dumb.

[tmckenzie]

With all due respect the 1986 or whatever bottle does not look like a bottle from that era. At all. How is the date being assessed? I'm sure I'm totally wrong but this just doesn't look like a bottle from the 80s at all. Maybe I'm viewing the wrong photos or am just dumb.

I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if it is a 98 bottling of 86 whiskey? I like pre fire HH more than current HH. It had a more disticnt corn flavor. I have read at the old plant they more or less just scalded the corn instead of boiling. This retains some corn flavor instead of blowing it out into the atmosphere. I would not be suprised if the pressure cook now. They had to change a bunch of stuff I was told when they took over Bernheim. I heard Parker said that it may have been a hell of an ethanol plant but it was no whiskey distillery.

[Enoch]

With all due respect the 1986 or whatever bottle does not look like a bottle from that era. At all. How is the date being assessed? I'm sure I'm totally wrong but this just doesn't look like a bottle from the 80s at all. Maybe I'm viewing the wrong photos or am just dumb.

Primarily the bottle has 2 numbers on the bottom of the bottle: 77 and 86. I just assumed the 86 because I did not think it was being bottled in 1977 but I may be wrong. (When was EC12 first bottled?) It also does not have a government warning which dates it before 1989. It does not have ABV, only proof, but I am unsure when ABV started being required. (Does anyone know this?) Every picture I've been able to find Googling also has ABV on the label. It only has a 6 digit barcode 839246. I'm not sure about how to interpret this. Finally, the owner said the bottles were there when he bought the store in 1990, and it fits in with the other 1980s bottles I bought at this store. Hope this clears it up.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Enoch

[T Comp]

Primarily the bottle has 2 numbers on the bottom of the bottle: 77 and 86. I just assumed the 86 because I did not think it was being bottled in 1977 but I may be wrong. (When was EC12 first bottled?) It also does not have a government warning which dates it before 1989. It does not have ABV, only proof, but I am unsure when ABV started being required. (Does anyone know this?) Every picture I've been able to find Googling also has ABV on the label. It only has a 6 digit barcode 839246. I'm not sure about how to interpret this. Finally, the owner said the bottles were there when he bought the store in 1990, and it fits in with the other 1980s bottles I bought at this store. Hope this clears it up.

1986 was the year that EC 12 came out. I agree with your tasting notes on the prefire juice Enoch. I too find it a little richer and sweeter...even brandy like...wish I had more.

[Enoch]

I went back and got the rest of it plus they had an old bottle of AAA 10 year so I picked it up. Three bottles were in boxes.

[sku]

The abv was required as of 1990, so the lack of it also supports your dating of the bottle to the late 1980s.

[HighInTheMtns]

Does anyone know when/if Bernheim juice started going in EC12 bottles? Seems like it should have been fairly recent, if it has happened yet.