Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch A120

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

Writing from the bar tonight. I normally don’t, but today is tax day today. Well tax appointment day anyway. The day where I find myself strangely relieved that I only owe the various government entities $3500.

On tax day, I figure I’m either going to be very happy or very sad. Either of those emotions call for post-appointment beers. If I’m happy when I leave the appointment, they are celebratory beers. In not, then I have the beers to console me. Either way, beers are certainly called for.

Of course, another way that I could commiserate the news that I get the opportunity to pay the government multiple thousands of dollars would be with tonight’s bourbon. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is released about three times a year. Each time the proof is different, but the age is always twelve years old. This time around, the proof is really high at 136.6° proof. Though as I think about it, this is still lower than the last release of last year. Luckily I keep a little of the last batch on hand to see if the comparable proof level equates to a comparable flavor.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch A120

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: 68.3% ABV, 12 years old

Nose: The high proof on this one means that you'll want to let it sit for a few minutes unless you want a snootful of acetone. After a few minutes rest, notes of green apple, caramel, baking spice, and oak appear.

Mouth: Hot and spicy with notes of cinnamon and oak.

Finish: Long and very warm. Lingering oak, browned butter and caramel.

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Thoughts: If you drink this neat you are either a crazy person or you have previously burned off your taste buds. This is a delicious bourbon, but it is begging for a little water.

So how does it compare to the last release of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (C919)? I think that A120 is more balanced than the previous batch. C919 is sweeter but, oddly, also has a more bitter finish. A120 is hotter, even though it has a slightly lower proof. Overall, both are delicious but if I had the choice, I'd pick A120.

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Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey

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

Much of my family is under the impression that because I am self-employed, I can just take any day off. The reality is, of course, that I never really have a day off. Even while on vacation I am taking phone calls from clients and answering emails.

But guess what?

Tomorrow I am taking a real day off! (Well, unless something urgent comes up. Damn my Midwestern work ethic…) But the plan is to take tomorrow off to research some projects I’m working on for the Etsy store. So I guess I’m not really taking it off so much as allocating the day to a more fun kind of work. And I can’t wait! I’ll be in the garage playing with wood and tools. I’ll be online researching 3D printers and materials casting/metalwork. It will be so much fun. I can’t wait!

Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase info: This sample was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.00

Details: 47% ABV. Mash bill: 51% rye, 35% corn, 14% malted barley. Initially available in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Oregon.

Nose: Cinnamon, caramel, and mint, with hints of cedar and bubblegum.

Mouth: Cinnamon, mint leaves, spearmint, almond, and oak.

Finish: Nice and spicy without being super hot. Lingering baking spice and mint.

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Thoughts: I like this, it’s a pretty tasty rye. I’ll probably consume this most often either neat or in a cocktail. Like with most "Kentucky-style" barely-legal ryes, I wouldn't reach for this when making a cocktail that calls for rye (like a Sazerac) but I'd use the heck out of it in cocktails that call for bourbon that can handle some extra spice.

In the name of Science! I tried this next to a couple of other ryes I had in the house (Rittenhouse, Old Forester, and Jack Daniels). I’d say that, for obvious reasons, this is most like Rittenhouse. Now, this is lower proof than Rittenhouse but the press release reads as if it is a bit older. And my experience mirrors that. Tasting them side by side, both my wife and I like the Elijah Craig better than the Rittenhouse. My favorite of the group was Old Forester, then Elijah Craig, with Rittenhouse and Jack Daniels bringing up the rear.

Final verdict: if it is in your area, it is certainly worth as look as the price is great for how good it is. If you are a fan of barely legal ryes this is a good one. I, however like a bit more rye in my ryes.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

My Wandering Eye: Chateau de Laubade Vintage Collection

My Wandering Eye is an ongoing seriess reacting to the rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. My hope is to see if another spirits category offers something that is downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits, but to maximize the quality, I’m getting at a particular price point. And one thing to remember is that these reviews will all be written from the perspective of a bourbon drinker.

A few years back I turned 40. To celebrate such a milestone, I thought that a spirit that was distilled in my year of birth would be a fun way to go. And I was right, it was delicious. I loved it. And so when I was doing a little holiday gift shopping this year, I noticed that the same brand had a “gift set” of 200 mL bottles that ranged from about 20 to about 40 years old. I was very intrigued. So much so that I took a photo, texted my wife and said “if I get enough from tips and gifts this Christmas, I’m buying this as a present to myself.” Luckily my family and clients were nice to me this year and I was able to do so.

Chateau de Laubade Vintage Collection

Purchase Info: $199.99 for five 200 mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: Distilled in the year on the label. Bottled in June 2019. 40% ABV.

Price per Drink (50mL): $10

Bas Armagnac Laubade 2000

Nose: Oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried fruit

Mouth: Follows the nose with oak, nutmeg, cinnamon, and dried fruit.

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Lingering baking spice notes that fade to reveal dried fruit.

Thoughts: This is really good. If the others are as good, this is going to be a very nice Christmas present.

Bas Armagnac Laubade 1998

Nose: Dried fruit, brown sugar, hints of BBQ smoke

Mouth: Dried fruit, brown sugar, baking spice

Finish: Fairly gentle with lingering dried fruit and an oak "twang"

Thoughts: Proving once again that age is just a number, this is much more fruit-forward than its younger brother. As such, I like the 2000 edition better.

Bas Armagnac Laubade 1995

Nose: This is a toffee bomb. under that are dried fruit, anise and hints of mint

Mouth: Surprisingly, there is no toffee on the mouth. Instead, this is herbal and almost savory. I'm getting anise, oregano, clove, mint, and dried fruit.

Finish: Warm and herbal with lingering clove, anise and dried fruit notes.

Thoughts: This is very herbal and I really like it. This has the warmest finish of the group so far.

Bas Armagnac Laubade 1988

Nose: Pipe tobacco, brown sugar, dried cherries, leather

Mouth: Cinnamon, dark chocolate, oak, dried fruit

Finish: Gentle but the flavors linger a long time. Notes of cinnamon, cocoa powder, oak, and dried fruit.

Thoughts: This is the first in the set where the barrel really starts to take over the flavor profile. The dark chocolatey notes mix with the cinnamon and dried fruit to make this a very dessert-like drink. I really like it.

Bas Armagnac Laubade 1979

Nose: Dry oak, almond, mint, and cherry

Mouth: Cherry, oak, almond, cinnamon, and citrus

Finish: Fairly gentle with lingering notes of cinnamon and cherry.

Thoughts: This one is a bit of a let down after the last one. This one trends back toward the fruit influence in the flavor. It is still very good, but I think the 1988 is more in line with my tastes.

Rankings

My Ranking: 1988, 1979, 1995, 2000, 1998

Robin’s Ranking: 1988, 1995, 1979, 1998, 2000

Final Thoughts

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I had a lot of fun with this one. Was it a good value? Well, no. Not if you just look at the price of the components. I mean this is $200 for one liter of brandy. And the oldest 200 ml in there would sell for about $200 for a 750 ml, the second oldest going for $120 and the youngest ones are all $80 or under. So no, it really isn’t a good value on the face of it.

But a fun experience is worth some money. I’ve often wished that Four Roses would offer a collection of 50mL bottles from each of their 10 recipes for sale in the gift shop. Comparing all 10 side by side is a super fun experience. I know, I did a series of posts on it back in 2014. So, if you look at how much I enjoyed the experience of tasting these brandies side by side, then this gift set certainly is a good value. I would never be able to afford a full bottle of each to do the comparison so I think I’m happy to pay the premium for the experience. Especially since I either liked or loved every one in there.

Plus, I bought it with gift money. I’m supposed to buy myself something I wouldn’t have otherwise, right?

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Four Gate Whiskey Company: Batch 4, Split Stave by Kelvin

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

Book review time. And no, it has nothing to do with whiskey.

I just got done reading An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. I loved it. On the surface, it is a book about a girl who finds a mystery statue on a New York street corner and shoots a quick and silly YouTube video about it. Obviously it is more than it seems and she gets quite famous because of that video.

Now as interesting as the surface story is, that story is not what the book is about.

Let me step back. When I was a kid, I hated trying to find the deeper meaning in a book. I'm of the opinion that even though many authors really do write with an allegorical bent, sometimes a rousing adventure story is just a rousing adventure story. Even today, I doubt that most of what speaks to me in any particular book was put there as some sort of deeper meaning by the author. Mostly because the parts that speak to me, that really make me enjoy a book and not be able to put it down, are usually the side characters or the set dressing. Ther things that help with mood and pace. And sure, the author probably put those things there intentionally but they usually aren't the reason for the book.

That said, I'm pretty sure that An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, is not about giant robots but is actually about fame, specifically internet fame. It is a plea from the author to remember that everyone on the other side of the screen is human. They aren't a talking point or a doll or an alien. They are human with all the problems and complications that come with that. The book is a plea to treat each other better especially online, where it is all too easy to misconstrue the intent behind the words that are typed.

I really needed to be reminded of that right now and as things get more and more contentious, especially here in the US with another election coming up, I think a lot of other people do too. So if you haven't read it, I highly encourage you to do so. It is interesting and exciting enough that I didn’t want to put it down.

But you didn’t come here to read an extended non-whiskey book report or a plea to treat each other nicely (though seriously, we all need to remember that). You came here to find out about that tiny bottle popping up out of the snow in the photo above.

Four Gate Whiskey is a company that is doing very interesting things with barrel finishing. I know that some of you aren’t fans of barrel-finished bourbons, but I find them to be, if not always good, at least always interesting. I found Batch 2 to be in that interesting, but “not for me” category. It wasn’t bad, it was just really weird. But, like I said it was super interesting and so when I saw a sample of Batch 4 arrive, I was pretty stoked to see what they had come up with this time around.

Batch 4, “Split Stave by Kelvin,” is much more in line with a traditional bourbon. Here is what the company has to say about it:

After crafting a series of medium toast casks, then a series of #2 char casks, and finally a third series of #4 char casks, William Hornaday and his team at Kelvin broke all the barrels apart and rebuilt them, alternating between toasted staves and #2 char staves on some barrels, and toasted and #4 char staves on others, they have created the first ever “Split Stave™” barrels. To fill them, we blended a 5.5 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon and a 12 Year Old  Kentucky Straight Bourbon and let them rest in our Split Stave barrels for five months. We produced 2,700 bottles from this inaugural release of Split Stave™ by Kelvin. It is uncut and unfiltered at 115.6 proof.

Four Gate Whiskey Company, Batch 4, "split stave by Kelvin"

Purchase info: This sample was graciously provided for review purposes by the distillery. It was available for purchase in Kentucky and Tennessee starting in December for a suggested retail price of $174.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $11.67

Details: 57.8% ABU. Finished in new, white oak barrels where the staves alternate between a medium toast and a number 2 char or a medium toast and a number 4 char level.

Nose: Initially reminds me of boozy French toast with maple and cinnamon. After a bit, mint, oak, and black tea come to the forefront.

Mouth: Hot and spicy with cinnamon red hots, caramel, mint and oak

Finish: Warm and long with lingering cinnamon, black tea, dark chocolate, and mint.

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Thoughts: This is delicious. It's spicy and hot upfront with a sweet and minty undercurrent. I'm enjoying it a lot. I’d love to get my hands on a bottle, but it’s a little out of my price range. But hey, at least I got a chance to sample it. I really, really like this.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Fall 2019 Edition

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

Ok. Time for me to eat a little crow tonight. When I first heard about this new Air Fryer fad. I was skeptical. In fact, I’d tell anyone who would listen that the one time I had “air fried” food, it arrived cold and burned. Well, it seems my wife did not listen to me because she bought one on Black Friday. We didn’t start out too fancy. Just a few breaded chicken tenders (yes, I’m actually a child). I’d been making that kind for a long time and these were the crispiest I’d had. So we tried burgers. The burgers were great too. I was such an instant convert that I opened the larger one that I had purchased for my mother so I could have two and make two things at once. I really like mine. So I need to eat crow. My wife was correct and I was not.

And just like I was initially skeptical about the air fryer fad, I was also skeptical about the new Limited Edition versions of Old Fitzgerald when they first came out. I figured it would be good, but I was a bit butthurt that the price was so high. As you know I am an innately frugal person. I’ve had trouble accepting the new pricing reality that the last ten years have brought. So I assumed that there was no way that an 11-year-old bourbon would be good enough to charge $110. And when I read the reviews, I figured I was right. Not that it mattered much, the only time I saw that one on a shelf they were asking over $200 for it.

So when the sample of the Fall 2019 edition came in, I was interested. When I saw that the price had gone up to $150, I was skeptical. Let’s see if that skepticism was warranted.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2019 Edition

Purchase Price: This sample was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is about $150.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10

Details: Made: Fall 2004. Bottled: Fall2019. 50% ABV. 15-years-old. Wheated.

Nose: Caramel, oak, vanilla, cinnamon

Mouth: Mouth-coating, rich mouthfeel. Sweet caramel, chocolate, and vanilla with oak and baking spice.

Finish: Warm and on the longer end of medium length. Lingering caramel, coffee, cocoa, and cinnamon.

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Thoughts: This is delicious. Next time I'm in Louisville, I just might plunk down the cash in one of the bourbon bars for a pour of this one since I doubt I will find a bottle. Though if I did, I would certainly consider it, doubt my frugal nature would allow me to pull the trigger, but I would at least think about it.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

MB Roland Wheated Bourbon

Paul and Merry Beth of MB Roland are my friends. Because I might be biased, I have decided to disclose that bias so that you can decide how much to trust the review. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I am reviewing a bottle that they gave me as a gift. This was not intended by them as a review bottle, but I like it and wanted to share.

Hey Bourbon Folks,

This is going to be the last post of 2019 as I take a little time to spend with my family over the holidays. BourbonGuy.com will be back to its regularly scheduled twice per week posting as of January 2nd, 2020.

Holy Crap! 2020?!? I’m getting fucking old! In a little under two weeks, it will be the start of the sixth decade in which I have been alive. That’s nuts. But it makes sense that I feel the passage of time especially hard as this decade ends and another begins. I mean, my life has changed dramatically in the last ten years.

When the decade began, I had never traveled east of my home state. I’d been to a majority of the states west of the Mississippi, but my home state of Wisconsin (and a tiny bit of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) were my only forays east of it. I’ve now traveled to every part of the country except the Northeast. And I’ve been international a couple of times. I even decided to move away from Minnesota at one point and spent a lot of time exploring new locations to live, both digitally and in person. But then my daughter had a pregnancy scare, and we decided that it might be best to stick nearby for any future grand-kids that might happen to pop out.

As 2010 arrived, I was happily employed in Corporate Marketing. And I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life. These days, I run three separate businesses of my own, and the majority of my money no longer comes from the only employable skill I had in 2010.

I fell in love with spirits in general and bourbon in particular shortly after the turn of the last decade. For most of the first half to two thirds of the decade, I wanted to start a craft distillery and set about learning everything I could about distilling. Instead of that, I now have this site and all of you who share my bourbon journey with me. Not only that, but I also get paid to write the occasional article for other publications and to host a tasting now and then, which is not a bad gig if you can get it.

During the last decade, my wife got sick with cancer and beat it. I’ve lost many friends and family members due to age, sickness, and time; but I gained a lot of new ones as well. Many of my new friends live in Kentucky, which is nice because I have fallen in love with Louisville. I’ve gone at least once a year for most of the last ten years.

This list is only scratching the surface of the changes that my life has gone through during the last decade, and even though I decided on a different life direction than starting a distillery, some of the friends who I’ve met over the last ten years do, in fact, own distilleries. And in fact, the bottle I am reviewing tonight was a gift from one of them. It is a wheated bourbon from my friends at MB Roland. They gave my wife and I this bottle as an anniversary present back in September. Obviously, I sat on it for a while before enjoying it.

MB Roland Wheated Bourbon

Purchase info: This was received as an anniversary gift from my friends at MB Roland. I image the price is somewhere in the mid $50 to $60 range.

Price per Drink (50 ml): No idea for the reason stated above.

Details: Batch 7. 55% ABV. Mash bill of 74% white corn, 6% malted barley, 20% red winter wheat. Barrel had a #4 char. Aged stated as “at least two years.”

Nose: Dried corn, mint, cinnamon, cloves, baked apples.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon candies, caramel, chocolate.

Finish: Warm and long with lingering caramel, cinnamon and chocolate notes.

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Thoughts: I really like this one. I've been very impressed with both the wheated bourbon and the wheat whiskey that MB Roland has made. I guess I like their wheat. Both of them have had very nice chocolate notes that I wouldn't have expected to find in a whiskey that is age-stated at about two years old. That said, there are still some young notes in here, but once again the proof helps to push them aside.

As stated above , before I got distracted by the end of the decade, BourbonGuy.com is going to take the holidays off to spend time with family. Regular posts will return January 2nd, 2020. (2020!?!)

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.