Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch C920

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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As I was getting ready to write this tonight, I remembered that one of my local liquor stores had Elijah Craig Barrel Proof for $58 or so the last time I was there and made the decision that I was going to get one. I made the bold declaration that batch B520 was my favorite yet when I reviewed it back in May. And even though I had already done a comparison tasting of B520 and C920, I wanted one more chance to compare them.

But when I arrived, wouldn’t you know it, the shelf was empty. This is why you don’t wait when you see something you want, especially for a price that good. Ah well. I’ll just have to console myself with C920. I mean, it’s probably pretty good too, right?

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch C920

Purchase info: This sample was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. Locally Elijah Craig Barrel Proof sells for as low as $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle when not on sale.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 66.4% ABV, 12 years old

Nose: Brown sugar, dark chocolate, a nutty note, and a hint of mint.

Mouth: Thick and rich. Very spicy due to the proof. Lots of "tingle" on this one. Caramel, cinnamon, chocolate, roasted nuts, mint, and oak.

Finish: Medium and warm. Lingering chocolate, mint, and oak.

With Water: Caramel bomb on the nose. Really tames the heat, but amps up the mint in the mouth. still a lot of cocoa and caramel.

Comparison with B520: C920 is much sweeter than B520 on the nose and mouth. Really enjoying the more prominent cocoa notes.

Thoughts: Delicious! As much as I enjoyed the last release (and I gave it a rare Heart rating), when I tasted them side by side, I liked this one even more. I'm loving the cocoa/chocolate notes mixed with cinnamon and caramel. It tastes like an alcoholic chocolate cookie. Big fan! I guess it is ok that I “have” to “console myself” with the C920

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Fall Brackets 2020: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Edition: Round 1a, 2018 vs 2015

This is the first September since 2013 that I haven’t had a vacation to Kentucky to look forward to. And, for that reason, it is also the first year since 2013 that I have no shot of getting a bottle of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. I mean, I’m in the drawing like everyone else, but I know how I usually fare in drawings of that sort. Here’s a hint: not well.

Back in 2013, I had a lucky break when a friend in Las Vegas was able to find a bottle for me. This was back when, in some areas, you could still find it on the store shelves now and then. This year, I’ll have to be happy with the taste I got when they sent me a sample. Oh, and the seven unopened bottles that I’ve saved from years past.

Which brings me to this little bracket I’ve decided to throw together. It all started last year when I was talking to Brent Elliot at the breakfast that Four Roses usually holds the Friday of BourbonFest. I’m not intentionally name dropping here, just giving credit where due. In a way, this series of posts is all his fault. See we were discussing what I thought of the 2019 Small Batch release when it came up that I had a bottle of almost every edition back to 2012 and that I had gotten most of them at that very event.

His very good question was: “What are you saving them for?” Well, I didn’t have a good answer for that. I had this vague idea that I wanted to be able to open them up all at once and share the experience with friends. But I didn’t have any firm idea for what to do with them. So I decided that at some point in 2020, I was going to gather a few like minded-friends to give them all a taste. Yeah…so much for that. 2020 kinda put the kibosh on that thought, but I was inspired to open them all up anyway as a way to “console myself” for not getting a bottle this year. And since they are open anyway why not see which one is the best?

These were tasted blind. In order to remove any preconceived notions, I poured samples of each into 100mL bottle bottles that were only labeled with a 10 digit alphanumeric code. I then shuffled them around as best as possible, seeded them, and then waited a week so that I would no longer even have a hint of what year went with what code. Over the course of a week, we tasted all the way through to the winner before we revealed what bourbon went with what code.

I was determined to make this into an event for ourselves. And now I’ve decided to share the results with you over the course of the next month. (Don’t worry, if you find a challenge between bourbons that you are unlikely to have to be boring, I am not running all the posts consecutively.)

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2018

Original Review: 2018 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “This is a hot and spicy beast of a dram. It is hot. The caramel is at the forefront, and the spice will bite you if you aren't prepared for it. The fruit is still there, but this year it plays more in the ripe, juicy peaches and cherry range. This is not a "mellow" bourbon.”

Details/Original Price: A blend of 10-year-old OBSV, a 13-year-old OBSF, a 14-year-old OESV, and 16-year-old OESK. 54.2% ABV. $140 MSRP.

Nose: Caramel, nutmeg, vanilla, and almond.

Mouth: Caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, red fruits, and oak.

Finish: Sweet and spicy. Medium length. Cinnamon, oak, and almond.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015

Original Review: 2015 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “Oh. My. God! I hesitate to say this for fear of fanning the fervor, but this might be my favorite Limited Small Batch yet. This is Mr. Rutledge’s last outing on this and he has outdone himself. Standing ovation on this one. Amazing!”

Original Details/Price: A mix of 16-year-old OBSK, 15-year-old OESK, 14-year-old OESK and 11-year-old OBSV. 54.3% ABV. $120 MSRP.

Nose: Very rich. This smells like a baking cinnamon roll. Bready, sweet brown sugar and cinnamon.

Mouth: Bright and floral. Cinnamon, cherry, brown sugar, and oak.

Finish: Medium to long. Oak, oak, oak. Brown sugar

Thoughts:

2015 is my clear winner in this matchup. The nose is amazing. Extremely rich. The bright floral mouth is a pleasant addition. 2018 is also very good, obviously. It just isn't as complex as 2015. The Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015 moves to round 2.

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Thanks to Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot for inspiring this series of posts.

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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch B520

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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May is a weird-ass time in Minnesota. We’ve been blessed with wonderful weather this year. But I noticed in my Facebook memories this week that we’ve had both days over 100° F and snowy days during the time I’ve lived here. I thought about this when I noticed that everyone in my neighborhood is building gardens.

I’ve had a garden for the entire time I’ve lived in Minnesota (and yet, I am just now getting around to building a permanent fence…huh). It’s nice to see other people getting into the hobby. I do feel a little bad for some of them though when I see that they have planted already. We never plant until Memorial Day. The ground is still too cold and you never know when you will get a freak snowstorm coming through.

It’s nice to get a decent May this year though. It’s like the weather said: “Well, you can’t go anywhere so I might as well let you work in the yard.“ An even nicer thing than the weather that is happening in May is the release of the next batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. I’m going to give you a little spoiler: this might be my favorite yet.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch B520

Purchase info: This sample was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. Locally Elijah Craig Barrel Proof sells for as low as $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle when not on sale.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 63.6% ABV, 12 years old

Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, cocoa, and oak.

Mouth: Sweet and hot. Caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and a little mint.

Finish: Warm, sweet, and long. Lingering caramel, baking spice, dark chocolate and smokey oak.

Thoughts: This is thick, rich, syrupy, and oh, so sweet. It's like a glass of bourbon syrup. And boy, is it ever delicious. I was a big fan of the first release of 2020, but I think I like this one even more. I’m loving the dark chocolate and the strong oak notes on the finish. I love the overall rich sweetness of it. This is pretty close to a perfect bourbon for me. I love it. I would recommend a little ice though.

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Four Gate Whiskey Company: Batch 6, The Kelvin Collaboration II

I’d like to thank Four Gate Whiskey Company for providing a review sample with no strings attached.

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For some reason, I’ve been thinking of my childhood lately. Probably because I’ve had a lot of time to think during this enforced downtime. It’s funny how scents can bring back good memories that you hadn’t thought about for years. Tonight’s whiskey did that for me. One sniff and I was reminded of time spent with my father.

My mom and dad divorced when I was young. Very quickly afterward he and his new wife were married and gave birth to my little sister. Needless to say, this caused some issues later on in life when I was an angry teenager and realized what the implications of that timeline were. But at the time, I was just happy to spend time with my dad, even though I hated my new step-mother. I was at his house for two weekends per month. He’d come to get me every-other Friday and on the way to his place, we would stop for supplies at the gas station near his house. He’d get smokes and beer for him and treats for my brother and I. A soda, candy, chips. You know, the sorts of things that were usually forbidden by my mother.

Sitting in the pickup sharing a candy bar with my dad and brother in the gas station parking lot is one of my happiest childhood memories of spending time with my dad. As I get older, I realize that it is the memories of the small “unimportant” events that I cherish the most.

Four Gate Whiskey Company: Batch 6, The Kelvin Collaboration II

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously supplied by the producer for review purposes. Suggested retail price is: $199.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $13.33

Details: 12-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in Cognac and Rum Casks. Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley. Non-Chill Filtered. 63.2% ABV

Nose: Oak, tobacco, coconut, and a hint of wood smoke

Mouth: Shows a lot of influence from rum and cognac along with notes of vanilla, baking spice, and coconut. Water opens it up, bringing out more spicy and fruity notes.

Finish: Long and warm with lingering notes of dark chocolate, coconut, and capsaicin-style spice.

Thoughts: This is absolutely delicious. This might be my favorite of the samples they have sent over. I love the coconut notes. When I was growing up a Mounds candy bar was my favorite treat at the gas station. This reminds me of that. I love this one. Partially for how it tastes, but also for the happy memories it drug up from the depths of my childhood.

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Lux Row Double Barrel Bourbon

I’d like to thank Common Ground PR and Luxco for providing a review sample to me with no strings attached.

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It was a the week before I was scheduled to drive to Kentucky for my annual shopping trip disguised as a Festival when I received a press release about a new bourbon out of Lux Row Distillery in Bardstown, Ky. It was to be a twelve-year-old, cask-strength bourbon and it was being released to celebrate the one year anniversary of the official opening of the Lux Row Distillery.

Sometimes you just get a feeling that a bourbon is going to be good. And a double digit age statement and a cask strength proof is a good start when looking at a bourbon’s spec sheet. So, because I’ve had a very high opinion of high-end Luxco bourbons lately, I decided to reach out and see if there were going to be samples available. Of course I also added a bottle to my “Kentucky Shopping List” just on the off chance that I happened across one. And then I promptly forgot about all of it because my active memory really only has space for about three things in it at any one time.

This has nothing to do with getting old. Shut up.

So, I was killing time in Bardstown between KBF events when I decided to stop in to the Lux Row Distillery gift shop. Honestly, I was on the lookout for a bottle of Old Ezra Barrel Proof and was hoping that if anybody had one, it would be them. When we got there, I also remembered the new bourbon that they were putting out. Mostly because it was sitting there right on the shelf, looking oh so pretty.

So I bought both. Yes. I blasted through my personal price ceiling without a second thought. Sometimes you just get a feeling that a bourbon’s going to be good.

Lux Row Double Barrel Bourbon

Purchase Info: $150 for a 750 mL bottle at the Lux Row Distillery. I also received a 200mL review sample (because I forgot to tell them that I’d purchased one until I saw the FedEx notification that it was on it’s way).

Details: 59.2% ABV. 12-year-old bourbon. Batched from 2 barrels (numbers 5154523 and 5154524)

Nose: Brown Sugar, cinnamon, clove, anise, and oak

Mouth: Cinnamon red hots, leather from a well-worn baseball glove, cherry, and caramel

Finish: Warm and long. Lingering chocolate, cherry, baking spices and leather.

Thoughts: Very warm and spicy. The cherry notes play nicely off of the leather and spices. This is a delicious Bourbon. Very rich. I'm very happy I picked up a bottle while I was in Kentucky. For $150 though, this will go on the special shelf where I am less likely to empty it quite so fast.

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Remus Volstead Reserve

I’d like to thank the folks at MGP and Gregory + Vine for providing this review sample to me with no strings attached.

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Every so often, like this weekend, my wife disappears for a weekend away with her mother. Leaving me home alone with the dogs to fend for myself. Not that I begrudge her that, her mother is getting up there in years and I certainly want my wife to make all the memories that she can while her mother is still with us. Of course while my wife is away, I tend to have a little fun myself. I may be “stuck” at home, but that’s honestly the place I like best. And besides when she isn’t here I get to lounge on the couch watching movies that she doesn’t like on the big TV, eating stupid amounts of pizza, and drinking the tasty drams from my shelf of fancy spirits without sharing. All in all, I’d say it is a bit of a win-win situation.

And I’d guess that tonight’s bourbon would probably have a spot on that shelf of fine bourbons, rums and brandys. This soon to be released 14-year-old, bottled-in-bond bourbon from MGP is seriously delicious. And considering the $200 price tag it would not be a bourbon that sits on the regular whiskey shelf. This would be one that I would set aside and go to only occasionally, allowing it to last. Of course, the odds that I need to make the decision of whether or not to shatter my personal price ceiling are low indeed. There will only be 6000 bottles of Remus Volstead Reserve released and I have serious doubts I will see it on the shelf.

But if I did…well…I might be sleeping on that couch I described above. Especially if my wife is not on board with the purchase. Because, I would probably purchase it. It’s really damn good.

Remus Volstead Reserve

Purchase Info: This review sample was graciously provided to me for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $199.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Details: 14 years old, 50% ABV, Bottled-in-Bond, DSP-IN-15023, 6000 bottles will be released November 2019.

Nose: Cherry, tobacco, chocolate, apple, nutmeg

Mouth: Spicy with cinnamon, clove, leather, apple, vanilla

Finish: Long and warm with lingering clove, leather, vanilla

Thoughts: The first sip made my eyes close in delight and it just kept getting better from there. The nose is rich. The mouth is warm, thick, and spicy. The finish is delightful. To quote my very (very) frugal wife: "If you have the means, splurge if you find it.'' I agree, I'm in love with this one. And whether or not I end up on that couch will depend on whether or not she feels we have the means if I were to find it.

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Woodford Reserve Master's Collection: Batch Proof (2019)

This is very good. Warm and thick with a wonderful sweet spiciness. I love this one. Don't love the price and doubt I'll be buying another, so I'll just enjoy this one and see if I can make it last a little while.

So said me, just under a year ago. And at the time, I certainly meant it. I mean $130 is too much to spend on one bottle of bourbon. It really is. So why do I have this bottle? In a word: vacation. Specifically, vacation to Kentucky.

Let me set the scene. It was two days before I was going to hop in the car and make the 13 hour trek to Louisville. On this day, I get a marketing email from Woodford Reserve announcing the release of this year’s edition of Batch Proof. Now, I’d had my Kentucky shopping list done for a while. I knew which things I was going to be looking for and which I would certainly be coming home with. On neither of those two subsets were anything from Woodford Reserve. Well, until I got that dang email.

I was already mentally on vacation. And while I am on vacation, my inherent frugalness is relaxed in favor of having fun. And when I am in Kentucky, “fun” means going bourbon shopping. And since I was planning trips to both Maker’s Mark and Four Roses, it seemed silly not to add a stop at Woodford to the itinerary. Since I’d be in the area. “Maybe they’ll have something fun,” I told my wife.

And low and behold they did. Sitting right on a table in the center of the gift shop were numerous bottles of Batch Proof. Who would have guessed? Now they were priced right at the $130 Suggested Retail Price. I started to wonder if I could get it cheaper at a store, but my wife told me that since I see it here, I might as well get it so I don’t miss out. (Yeah, she got the email too and knew what my scheme was.) And good thing I did. Last year I got it about $10 under SRP. This year every store I saw had it higher than the distillery.

So, last year I loved it, but didn’t think I’d buy it again due to price. This year…?

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof (2019)

Purchase Info: $130 for a 750 ml bottle at Woodford Reserve Distillery Gift Shop

Details: 61.6% ABV. Non-Age Stated

Nose: Brown Sugar, black tea, nutmeg

Mouth: Cola, cinnamon, almond, leather

Finish: Sweet, warm and long. Lingering toffee, almond, black tea, cinnamon

Thoughts: This is delicious. The black tea notes along with the sweetness really bring this one together nicely. It drinks nicely neat but takes water well too. I'm a big fan. In fact, I wish I would have grabbed a second. I was on vacation, after all. Now that I’m home again? It’s probably a little out of my price range unless I find it on sale somewhere.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

Little Book 2018: Chapter 2 "Noe Simple Task"

Tonight I am drinking a true FrankenWhiskey. And, not to spoil the results for you, but I love it. Released by Beam Suntory, Little Book is a label that celebrates unique whiskey blends. It's, to quote the label, "crafted by Freddie Noe," son of Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe. I've never met the younger Mr. Noe, but I have to say I like what he's doing with Little Book.

Last year's Little Book was a blend of bourbon, corn, rye and malt whiskeys ranging from 4 to 13 years old. I...never tried it. For some reason, it just didn't interest me. Maybe it was the malt whiskey. Adding malt whiskey to something is usually a sign that I won't care for it. In any case, I passed on it. I sort of regret that now...

This year's, however, was a different animal altogether. It blends 8-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye whiskey with two different Canadian Whiskies. A 13-year-old Canadian Rye with a 40-year-old Canadian whiskey made from corn. I have been house blending US and Canadian Ryes at home for quite a while and was really looking forward to seeing what a company with access to nearly unlimited stocks could come up with. And when I saw it at Total Wine for less than $75, I pounced on it.

Little Book 2018: Chapter 2 "Noe Simple Task"

Purchase Info: $73.99 for a 750 mL at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 59.40% ABV. Blend of 8-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye whiskey, 13-year-old Canadian Rye, and 40-year-old Canadian whiskey.

Nose: Cinnamon, nutmeg, candle wax, non-specific wood.

Mouth: Nice and spicy with good heat. Cinnamon carries over to the mouth with a honey sweetness and dried fruit notes backing it up.

Finish: Spicy and long with cinnamon, rye spices, mint, honey and dried fruit.

Thoughts: I saw some people in online comments bashing this for using Canadian whisky. As far as I’m concerned, those people are very wrong as the Canadian whiskies are the ones that are providing most of the flavor. This is a well crafted whiskey that has a lot of the Canadian rye flavors with the spicy brashness of a US-style rye. It’s fantastic. Spicy and bold with a great mouthfeel. I think I’m in love.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts Etsy store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. Thanks!