Jump to content

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof


HighInTheMtns
This topic has been inactive for at least 365 days, and is now closed. Please feel free to start a new thread on the subject! 

Recommended Posts

Mouthfeel and depth of flavor. Black cherries all over, but balanced with wood, chunky vanilla, some fruity dark chocolate. Coffee roasted orange marmalade. Dried apricots aged in dark maple. I love this stuff, and as others have said, a big part of its success is in the thick, coating NCFing of it. It's not the most novel or complex bourbon, but it takes a familiar profile and turns it up to 11. It's very easy to drink (I definitely add some water) and very satisfying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am taking the posts about availability and quantities with a grain of salt. With responses ranging from Denver (2.5M population) only receiving 6 total bottles, to one person getting 11, there is definitely a lot of unknowns about distribution and quantity. If Denver is an example of average distribution based on population, there would be only 751 bottles for the entire US. Somehow I think more is in the pipeline... A lot more.

I never said that Denver was getting 6 bottles. I said that I had heard that 2 retailers were getting 6 bottles. I said that over 20 on-premise accounts were getting it. That is over 66 bottles. But before you start with the questionable mathematics again, you might note that I was being vague as to exact numbers. Denver got more than 22 cases. The key point was that this release is going to restaurant and bar.

(Note: perhaps on-site will refuse, but thus far 3 retailers received it...and 2 had to share a case to get there.)

Edited by wripvanwrinkle
Link to comment
Share on other sites

First pour and I'm really enjoying this: warm caramel, faint vanilla/almond extract, hint of grain silo/dustiness on the nose.

Full-bodied, mouth-coating & oily, blooming flavors... Demerera rum, cherry-cola, black tea, charred wood, cinnamon... At some point, my tastebuds cry "uncle" and I'm just trying hang on (did I mention I really like this bottle?)

Finish tingles and starts off a little bitter then sweetens for the remainder of the finale with sweet tea, citrus notes & berry preserve on the tongue.

Edited by ChainWhip
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When posting tasting information concerning Elijah Craig barrel proof bourbon, it would be helpful to list the actual proof, since there is significant variation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When posting tasting information concerning Elijah Craig barrel proof bourbon, it would be helpful to list the actual proof, since there is significant variation

There is? All materials/releases I've seen indicate this first release to all be 134.2 proof.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is? All materials/releases I've seen indicate this first release to all be 134.2 proof.

All 3 bottles I have are 134.2...haven't heard of any variation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All 3 bottles I have are 134.2...haven't heard of any variation.

Gift shop bottles of EC12 brl strength are lower proof. Around 120 or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never said that Denver was getting 6 bottles. I said that I had heard that 2 retailers were getting 6 bottles. I said that over 20 on-premise accounts were getting it. That is over 66 bottles. But before you start with the questionable mathematics again, you might note that I was being vague as to exact numbers. Denver got more than 22 cases. The key point was that this release is going to restaurant and bar.

(Note: perhaps on-site will refuse, but thus far 3 retailers received it...and 2 had to share a case to get there.)

Wow, sorry, I wasn't challenging any information. And I am not a bar or restaurant so my "questionable mathematics" only included the retail outlet numbers that I've seen posted here. I am not a bar or restaurant, so I personally don't care if they receive 5,000 cases. I accept that retail is lower on the food chain for highly allocated releases, I'm just optimistic that more is in the pipeline for retail than what forum members have experienced thus far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah, all of my retail bottles are 134.2. i dont think it says anywhere on the bottle that they are single barrel. though the back of the bottle does claim that it was "bottled straight from the barrel," i think that is just marketing. i assume these are vatted at some point otherwise, wouldnt they say single barrel?

post-9168-1448981892757_thumb.jpg

post-9168-14489818927002_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i assume these are vatted at some point otherwise, wouldnt they say single barrel?

I spoke to Bernie Lubbers last night at WhiskyFest and he said the first batch was around 75-80 barrels. He also mentioned that future dumps will be of more like 120 barrels.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gift shop bottles of EC12 brl strength are lower proof. Around 120 or so.

When I was in the gift shop on Thursday, there were at least 3 different proofs. The lowest was 120.9.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a few glasses with a friend tonight, me neat and him on rocks. I really enjoy my bottle, its a little hot but worth working through.

Found a bit of black/bitter cherry in it tonight to go along with the usual oak and caramel. My bottle at least continues to get better after being opened a bit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(For DBM)

Peace, man. You were using a questionable extrapolation (I didn't mean personal offense.) There is only one set of bottles for both on and off premise in a given market, and the distributor decides where it goes. My distributor's strategy may be different than yours.

Having said that, I do feel that you were being dismissive. No where in my post did I say they that this was unobtainium. I said that this first release was (in effect) restaurant only in Denver. I also said that there was more coming. That was info for the Denver folks, not a statement of national availability.

No hard feelings.

Edited by wripvanwrinkle
Forgot to reference previous post
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(For DBM)

Peace, man. You were using a questionable extrapolation (I didn't mean personal offense.) There is only one set of bottles for both on and off premise in a given market, and the distributor decides where it goes. My distributor's strategy may be different than yours.

Having said that, I do feel that you were being dismissive. No where in my post did I say they that this was unobtainium. I said that this first release was (in effect) restaurant only in Denver. I also said that there was more coming. That was info for the Denver folks, not a statement of national availability.

No hard feelings.

10-4. I think we both have the same summary: patience will be rewarded. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried this several times over the weekend and really enjoyed it,but boy is this one a veritable chameleon with the addition of water get it right and you with be rewarded get it wrong and it's game over.I really like the prominence of roasted nuts,cinnamon and deep,almost burned toffee coming through in this one.I was taken back by the heat in this at first even compared to GTS which holds its proof so well,I look forward to getting the proof right on this with a little work over the next few nights.The ECBP is a great value and shows awesome potential with the proof dialed in.I hope to see more hit the market with subsequent batches in the near future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was in the gift shop on Thursday, there were at least 3 different proofs. The lowest was 120.9.

The highest I found was 129 something. Still lower than the new bottle being nationally distributed. I can't recall if the gift shop bottles said single barrel or just barrel proof but i think it was just barrel proof as well. They were "on sale" for $54.99. Don't know if that had anything to do with the national release or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The highest I found was 129 something. Still lower than the new bottle being nationally distributed. I can't recall if the gift shop bottles said single barrel or just barrel proof but i think it was just barrel proof as well. They were "on sale" for $54.99. Don't know if that had anything to do with the national release or not.

Those have been available at the gift shop for some time, but the price was much higher before the national release. I'm betting they're single barrels as opposed to several different batches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those have been available at the gift shop for some time, but the price was much higher before the national release. I'm betting they're single barrels as opposed to several different batches.

Yeah, I had heard about them before but this was my first stop at the Visitors Center. I just thought it was amusing that the "sale" price, which the ladies in the shop were pushing pretty hard, was still higher than most people were getting the new version for. Prior to this "sale they were something like $75-80 each I think.

Of course in spite of the price that didn't stop me from getting one to compare to the ECBP! I picked the highest I could find at 129.7 proof. It still wasn't anywhere near as dark as the ECBP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I had heard about them before but this was my first stop at the Visitors Center. I just thought it was amusing that the "sale" price, which the ladies in the shop were pushing pretty hard, was still higher than most people were getting the new version for. Prior to this "sale they were something like $75-80 each I think.

Of course in spite of the price that didn't stop me from getting one to compare to the ECBP! I picked the highest I could find at 129.7 proof. It still wasn't anywhere near as dark as the ECBP.

I picked up the same one at the gift shop. Just tasting it now. Very different from the original retail release which not only was usually dark but was not as hot uncut and had more burnt sugar vanilla notes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked up the same one at the gift shop. Just tasting it now. Very different from the original retail release which not only was usually dark but was not as hot uncut and had more burnt sugar vanilla notes.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

English is my second language so I beg forgiveness ahead of time for my inability to parse your post correctly...

Was the gift shop bottle "not as hot uncut and had more burnt sugar vanilla notes" or was that supposed to describe the general release ECBP?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This stuff is impossible to find in the Nashville area. I have searched high and low. I even checked some out of state stores while on business and no luck. Seems to only be in select markets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This stuff is impossible to find in the Nashville area.

That seems odd given your proximity to Ky - ECBP has already come & gone from the PacNW states of Oregon & Washington.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nobody has even heard of it let alone carries it around here yet. Select markets indeed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.