!! HELP !! What to replace EC12 with?

[no proof]

I was referring to a 12 year Old Ezra, not Ezra B.

https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/69152/

 

Googling around, it looks like this might be Japan-only like the 15 year version, so it's not going to work in this case anyway.

 

[flahute]

I never found Ezra 12 and EC12 to be all that similar so it's not a viable replacement even if it's available. 

[Bourbonumbers]

To the OP: If you have some spare time, then try grabbing some HM BiB and filling up a 1L mini barrel for a couple weeks. Those charred, new oak barrels are fairly affordable on Amazon. They say you can get a few fills from them as well.

Length of time depends on how it tastes. Hey, it's just a good excuse to sample daily. [emoji846]


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[kevinbrink]

14 hours ago, no proof said:

I was referring to a 12 year Old Ezra, not Ezra B.

https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/69152/

 

Googling around, it looks like this might be Japan-only like the 15 year version, so it's not going to work in this case anyway.

 

Feel free to send some my way so I can have a sample bottle to show stores what I'm looking for 

[Richnimrod]

Not sure if this is the best place to put this post; but here goes.....

This afternoon I helped out my local proprietor with a barrel pick of Elijah Craig Small Batch.     The youngest one we were offered was EASILY the best!    It was about 9-years-old.    Very nicely balanced, a teeny bit sweeter than the average flavor of past EC's; but well within the expected range of flavors with a good deal of brown sugar/sweet caramel, along with a nice balance of baking spices and a good-but-not overpowering oak structure for all of it to rest upon.    The selected barrel also had a wonderfully long, long finish, and a very full well-balanced nose, not to mention being the nicest colored one offered, being a rich, deep copper/amber. 

So, the idea that 12-years in oak is the only way to arrive at a 'proper' Elijah Crag just ain't correct!    This pick is borderline stellar, and certainly above average for the 12-year-age-stated EC's I've had. 

...And, not just my opinion!       Everybody there agreed!     The pick was unanimous.

[Bbstout]

15 minutes ago, Richnimrod said:

Not sure if this is the best place to put this post; but here goes.....

This afternoon I helped out my local proprietor with a barrel pick of Elijah Craig Small Batch.     The youngest one we were offered was EASILY the best!    It was about 9-years-old.    Very nicely balanced, a teeny bit sweeter than the average flavor of past EC's; but well within the expected range of flavors with a good deal of brown sugar/sweet caramel, along with a nice balance of baking spices and a good-but-not overpowering oak structure for all of it to rest upon.    The selected barrel also had a wonderfully long, long finish, and a very full well-balanced nose, not to mention being the nicest colored one offered, being a rich, deep copper/amber. 

So, the idea that 12-years in oak is the only way to arrive at a 'proper' Elijah Crag just ain't correct!    This pick is borderline stellar, and certainly above average for the 12-year-age-stated EC's I've had. 

...And, not just my opinion!       Everybody there agreed!     The pick was unanimous.

Not surprising. Due to single malt whiskeys, age is always perceived as better but the experts like Jim Rutledge & Booker Noe prefer 6-10 years. The current market craze equates rarity=quality. I admit that I am guilty. I also recognize GOOD bourbon and have loaded up on common McKenna BIB, OGD 117, etc....

[flahute]

5 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

Not sure if this is the best place to put this post; but here goes.....

This afternoon I helped out my local proprietor with a barrel pick of Elijah Craig Small Batch.     The youngest one we were offered was EASILY the best!    It was about 9-years-old.    Very nicely balanced, a teeny bit sweeter than the average flavor of past EC's; but well within the expected range of flavors with a good deal of brown sugar/sweet caramel, along with a nice balance of baking spices and a good-but-not overpowering oak structure for all of it to rest upon.    The selected barrel also had a wonderfully long, long finish, and a very full well-balanced nose, not to mention being the nicest colored one offered, being a rich, deep copper/amber. 

So, the idea that 12-years in oak is the only way to arrive at a 'proper' Elijah Crag just ain't correct!    This pick is borderline stellar, and certainly above average for the 12-year-age-stated EC's I've had. 

...And, not just my opinion!       Everybody there agreed!     The pick was unanimous.

Indeed sir. The one my group picked back in November was 8 years old and was the best of the bunch. It came from the 7th floor so aging was accelerated. As much as I love EC12 with the red 12, I have to admit that this particular age is not automatic.

[Kepler]

6 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

 The youngest one we were offered was EASILY the best!    It was about 9-years-old.    

 

So, the idea that 12-years in oak is the only way to arrive at a 'proper' Elijah Crag just ain't correct!    This pick is borderline stellar, and certainly above average for the 12-year-age-stated EC's I've had. 

...And, not just my opinion!       Everybody there agreed!     The pick was unanimous.

 

38 minutes ago, flahute said:

Indeed sir. The one my group picked back in November was 8 years old and was the best of the bunch. It came from the 7th floor so aging was accelerated. As much as I love EC12 with the red 12, I have to admit that this particular age is not automatic.

Of course both of these are hand-picked special barrels.  As opposed to EC12, a mass produced off-the-shelf bottle that anyone could find in any liquor store at any time, for years and years, for under $30.

 

Comparing apples to oranges.

 

[JPK]

On 2/21/2017 at 9:47 PM, Bourbonumbers said:

To the OP: If you have some spare time, then try grabbing some HM BiB and filling up a 1L mini barrel for a couple weeks. Those charred, new oak barrels are fairly affordable on Amazon. They say you can get a few fills from them as well.

Length of time depends on how it tastes. Hey, it's just a good excuse to sample daily.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

!!! LOVE THE IDEA !!!

[Richnimrod]

5 hours ago, Kepler said:

Comparing apples to oranges.

 

Not exactly apples to oranges....

As I noted in my original post, the point was, and remains, that 12-years in oak is NOT the only way to arrive at a quality version of EC.    I certainly acknowledge that the previous EC-12 was a mass-produced (and high quality in my opinion) offering; but the current options, whether a store pick or 'off-the-shelf' (EC NAS) may well be a fine dram and either is certainly worth consideration. 

My point was never about doing some sort of direct comparison.    I'm sorry if I mislead you, it was not intentional.

[flahute]

17 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

Of course both of these are hand-picked special barrels.  As opposed to EC12, a mass produced off-the-shelf bottle that anyone could find in any liquor store at any time, for years and years, for under $30.

 

Comparing apples to oranges.

 

I'd say it's more like different apples.

Of course a single barrel is able to show some different things than a 300-400 barrel batch. My point, like Rich, is that it's possible to achieve an extremely good version of EC at only 8 years of age.

I've now had two bottles of NAS EC and one was good while the other was great - as good as any EC I remember. Though I miss the EC12, I'm happy enough with the NAS currently that I haven't yet needed to raid my stash of the 12.

[Kepler]

Good points from you both and I agree.