Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch B521

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

IMAGE: A bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, batch B521 sitting in the morning sun.

I’m getting another tattoo tomorrow. A year ago, if you’d have asked me if I would ever have one tattoo, I would have told you no. That I was too big of a pussy to handle that.

As an aside, have you ever wondered about the practice of calling a weak person a nickname for female genitalia? I mean those things are tough, you can shove a baby through one whereas the male counterpart can be injured by a sharp look…

Anyway back to the tattoo. I don’t like pain, but I’ve always been a fan of tattoos. I have a fine arts education and love art of all kinds and this seems to be one of the most personal expressions of art appreciation that is possible. So if I was going to put up with the pain, I wanted to be sure it was something that I would never end up regretting. And so my first tattoo was the paw prints of my first two dogs. I wished I could have them with me forever, and now I kind of can. I’ll probably put my current two there with them once they pass on as well.

So what sort of special, heartwarming thing am I getting tomorrow. Well, honestly, it’s kind of a charity thing. The artist gives 40% of the proceeds of these predesigned dog-themed ones to a local animal rescue. And since I really like dogs, I’m willing to once again put up with something that feels like I’m being cut with an X-Acto knife (the story for how I know how that feels is a story for another day).

So how does that have anything at all to do with tonight’s Bourbon? It doesn’t. Not really. I mean, the editions of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof could usually be considered works of the distiller and blender’s art. I appreciate them the same way I do a piece of fine art. I just get to put these works of art in my mouth and I’m pretty sure most traditional artists would not look kindly upon me tasting their works.

But, hey! Would you look at that, it’s time for the tasting notes. I’m going to leave the uncomfortable intro behind and get on to talking about the second of Heaven Hill’s three annual barrel proof releases of 12-year-old Elijah Craig.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B521

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. I have found previous editions locally for as low as $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine.

Price per Drink (50mL): $4.67

Details: 59.1%. 12-years-old

Nose: Cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, mint.

Mouth: Oak, chocolate, cinnamon, ginger, and muted caramel, followed by a juicy apple note as you swallow.

Finish: Long and warm with the juicy apple, cinnamon and oak notes.

Thoughts: This is just a damn fine bourbon. I really like it. It's almost completely a stereotypical Heaven Hill bourbon. Rich, caramel notes paired with baking spice and oak. There is more oak influence on this batch than I remember from previous batches. If I hadn't known, I would have guessed this was older than 12 years. It is very nicely done though. This doesn't taste like an old stick you found in the yard. The oak expresses itself as a wonderful chocolate note.

Comparison to last batch: B521 is more refined on the nose than A121 was. A121 was a bit of a toffee bomb on the nose by way of comparison. This follows on the mouth as B521 is more refined there as well. B521 is just a damn fine, well-aged bourbon. A121 was very hot and quite sweet by comparison.

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.

Blood Oath Pact 7

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing the review sample and photo of Blood Oath Pact 7 with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Bottle shot of Blood Oath, Pact Seven and a Glencairn glass with the Blood Oath Logo etched into the side. Photo Courtesy Lux Row Distillers.

I am very much a guy that likes to do it myself. If I have a choice between learning to do something and doing it well or paying someone to do it perfectly, I will take the opportunity to learn a new skill every time. I do most of my own repairs around the house. And sure, at first it was just because I didn’t have the money to pay a repair person. But eventually it was because I knew I could do a job. I just didn’t know how to do it yet. And with all the world’s information at my fingertips, learning is just a Google search away.

Of course that doesn’t mean that I don’t occasionally pay an expert. Any plumbing job more complicated than installing a dishwasher or faucet goes right to the experts. These folks know what they are doing and are much less likely to cause damage to something else in the house than I am.

One of the other things that I tend to turn to the experts for is blending up a tasty bourbon. While I dabble in blending on an amateur basis, and while my efforts are unlikely to cause damage to the house. I do find that most of the folks who do this for a living do it better than I do. And tonight we are looking at a bourbon from one of the best blenders in the business: Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. I’ve been a big fan of almost every one of his premium (and many not so premium) releases from Lux Row.

Tonight we are looking at the seventh edition of Blood Oath to come from Rempe. Blood Oath Pact 7 was created from three bourbons that use rye as their flavoring grains: a 14-year-old, an 8-year-old, and an 8-year-old that was finished in Sauternes casks. Sauternes is a sweet white wine from Sauternes, France, a town in the Bordeaux region.

Blood Oath, Pact 7

Purchase Info: This 200 mL sample was provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.67

Details: Blend of 14-year-old Bourbon, 8-year-old Bourbon and 8-year-old Bourbon that was finished in a Sauternes cask. 98.6° proof.

Nose: Vanilla, bubblegum, a savory herbal note, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, apricot, honey, cinnamon, and oak.

Finish: Medium in both length and heat. Notes of cinnamon, oak, and stone fruits.

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Thoughts: Good, not great. I like it, but not as much as I have previous Blood Oath releases. I probably won't be buying this one if I run across it. But that is mainly due to price. It's a good whiskey, but whiskey needs to be something really special for me to drop $100 or more on a bottle. At half the price it would be a no-brainer pick-up. As it is, it really depends on your bourbon budget.

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, Spring 2021 edition

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

IMAGE: A sample bottle of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond sitting on a wooden bench. Words say: Spring 20201 Edition, Made: Spring 2013, Bottled: Spring 2021. Proof: 100. Age: 8 yr

It’s that time of year. Apple has finally made an update to its Mac lineup* that has me ready to pull the trigger on replacing my old 2015 MacBook Pro. The thing still runs like a champ, but it is starting to show its age. I never use the laptop anywhere other than my desk so I don’t really need it as a laptop. Which means I’m free to completely reimagine my current office setup. Everything from storage to backups to displays and sound is on the table. For a gadget person like me, it’s a fun time. And one that only comes around every half decade or so.

And while I’m perusing spec sheets and pricing to help me decide between a colorful new iMac or a tiny Mac Mini, I’ll be sipping on a little something that comes out much more often. Tonight I am looking at the Spring 2021 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, the half yearly special release from Heaven Hill. This edition clocks in at “only” 8 years old, which is nice because the suggested price reflects that lower age.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Spring 2021

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $85 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.67

Details: 8 years old. 50% ABV.

Nose: Strong cinnamon notes, mint, oak, and almond.

Mouth: Nice, thick mouthfeel. Sweet, but not overly so. Notes of almond, cinnamon, oak, mint, and caramel.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Lingering notes of Cinnamon, caramel, and cocoa.

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Thoughts: This is very good, as usual. I am really enjoying the thick, rich mouthfeel. The sweet notes of caramel and cocoa are well balanced by the spicy cinnamon. If you see this anywhere near the retail price, and can swing it, I'd recommend grabbing it. It's quite good. And don’t be scared off by the lower age statement. I tried it next to the Fall 2020 edition and I think I like this one better. Both were very caramel forward, but Spring 2021 had more spice to it. Which I tend to like more than the well-integrated oak notes that the previous edition had.

Ok. Off to play IT planning guy. Wish me luck!

*I’m a Designer/Photographer/Artist who got rid of his last PC in 2001 and has been happily using Macs since before I graduated college 20 years ago. I’m too old to relearn Windows and I like MacOS so no wise guy comments. Lol.

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021: FAE-01

I’d like to thank the PR folks at Maker’s Mark for providing a review sample to me with no strings attached. In the meantime, I found this at retail. Tasting notes are taken from the retail purchase.

IMAGE: a 750 mL bottle of the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01

I’m not going to lie to you. As I am trying to write this, I have one eye on CNN awaiting word on a very important verdict. As such, I am quite distracted and am having a hard time writing anything coherent. So because of that, I am going to do something I don’t like to do and quote heavily from the press release in this post.

But first, let’s talk about what we are tasting tonight. It is the third release in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, and the first of two this year. This Spring release will be followed by a Fall version of the same. It was created using a similar process to Maker’s 46 and the Private Selection program where they take standard Maker’s Mark bourbon and then add 10 specially crafted staves and add them to the inside of the barrel. I’ve enjoyed both of the last two very much and anticipate enjoying this one as well.

Here’s what the company has to say about this release.

“Every whisky in our Wood Finishing Series is meant to have a strong point of view; it should tell a story about what we do at the distillery,” says Jane Bowie, Director of Innovation at Maker’s Mark. “For 2021 we wanted to use wood to draw out those underlying bold qualities of classic Maker’s® that we get from non-chill filtration – heavy oakiness, earthy fig and that creamy, palate-coating mouthfeel. 

The first 2021 Limited Release, FAE-01, uses an American oak stave that is seared on one side and left raw on the other to amplify some of the signature dried fruit and oak flavors that Maker’s Mark is known for. The classic Maker’s Mark® Bourbon derives these tasting notes from naturally retained elements of barrel char and organic compounds called fatty acid esters (FAEs), which are responsible for both fruity tones and texture variations. Each side of the FAE-01 stave draws out different characteristics of these two flavor components – the charred side offers dark leathery tobacco notes, and the raw side yields fresh fruit, the two of which come together to create intense barrel-aged fruitiness. While 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01 focuses on drawing out specific flavors, 2021 Limited Release: FAE-02, arriving later this year, will be defined by its rich, weighty texture.  

“This first release tastes just like a Kentucky barrel warehouse smells,” says Bowie. “If you’ve ever walked through a rick house and taken a deep breath, you can almost taste the bourbon in the air, and that’s the experience we’ve created with FAE-01. There’s tons of pleasantly dank wood and tobacco on the nose, and rich, warm raisin and fig on the tongue – it’s literally like sipping on angel’s share.” 

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series, 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01

Purchase Info: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Super One Liquor, Duluth, MN. The suggested retail price is $59.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33 at my purchase price. $4.00 at MSRP.

Details: 55.3% ABV.

Nose: Toffee, oak

Mouth: Nice spice, toffee, cinnamon, cocoa, and oak.

Finish: Spicy and warm. Lingering notes of toffee, dusty cocoa, and oak.

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Thoughts: This is very wood-forward bourbon. Water brings out more fruit and cocoa notes. There is a nice spiciness throughout. This might almost have too much barrel influence for me. It is trending toward muddiness. That said, I will still happily enjoy the occasional pour out of the bottle I bought when the mood for a wood-forward bourbon strikes me. I like this, but not as much as I had anticipated or hoped. But then, I'm not a huge fan of oaky bourbons preferring my bourbons to be a bit more balanced between oak and other flavors. Since they were hoping to replicate the experience of walking through a barrel warehouse, I’d say that they accomplished their goals.

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.