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.

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.

Larceny Barrel Proof

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

ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! TheExpanseisback!TheExpanseisback! Ahem. I mean… The Expanse is back and I couldn’t be more excited!

Now you might be wondering just what the Expanse is and why I am so excited. Well it is possibly the best science-fiction tv show. Period. Possibly ever. And I am a sci-fi nut from way back. So much so that my seventh-grade English teacher felt the need to tell my mother during parent-teacher conferences that I should be encouraged to branch out from the genre. You know because it wasn't “serious” enough for someone that was as smart as I was.

I still think that’s a pretty weird way to give a parent a compliment.

Now the books that the TV show is based on are phenomenal. Some of my favorites ever. And yet, I can see why maybe people wouldn’t have heard of it. The Expanse had the misfortune of starting on SyFy, which is not exactly known for high-quality programming these days. Luckily, for some reason, the network decided to pour enough money into this show to make the show look really good. And then they canceled it after three seasons because it was too expensive. Luckily Rich Uncle Pennybags…err…Bezos of Amazon fame liked it as well and decided to save it and bring it over to Amazon Prime.

I don’t have a lot of nice things to say about Amazon, but I am thankful for this.

And even though I have about 10 shows that I am currently bingeing, I am totally starting over to rewatch the Expanse from the beginning. Some people say that too much of a good thing is actually a bad thing. Whether it is amazing tv shows, college football Bowl games, or good food. But one thing that almost no one says is a bad thing is more proof on your whiskey.

Knowing that, Heaven Hill has recently decided to put out a barrel proof version of their flagship wheated bourbon, Larceny. I’ve been a fan of Larceny since it was first released way back in 2012. In fact, Larceny is one of two wheated bourbons that I’ve consistently had on my shelf over the years. So when I heard that Heaven Hill was releasing a barrel-proof version, I was super excited. I was even more excited when a generously large sample landed on my doorstep.

Much like Heaven Hill’s other barrel-proof offering, Elijah Craig, Larceny Barrel Proof will be released in batches throughout the year. It will feature the same naming scheme with a letter denoting which release it is, a number indicating which month is was released and the year. So this release, A120, means it is the first release of the year in January of 2020. And yes, you will have to wait until January to get your hands on this. And at a suggested retail price of about $50 or so, I’d keep an eye out for it.

Larceny Barrel Proof

Purchase info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. Suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: Batch number: A 120. 61.6% ABV

Nose: Brown Sugar, cinnamon, clove, oak

Mouth: Mint, ripe berries, tobacco, honey

Finish: Long and hot. Mint and honey notes initially which are replaced by a long-lasting cinnamon candy note.

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Thoughts: This is delicious! It is a warm one though, luckily it takes water or ice very well. Compared to Larceny, this is similar on the nose. Obviously this is hotter than the standard Larceny but has a lot of the same notes on the mouth. Basically, it is just richer and the flavors are more concentrated. As you would expect.

Much like the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, this is one I will pick up every time I see it on the shelf.

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.

Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7 year old

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

I tend to grade on a curve when it comes to whiskey. Not here on BourbonGuy. Here I just tell you if I like it or not. But in my buying habits, I certainly grade on a curve. And that curve is based entirely on price.

See, I am a freelancer and a dog-sitter by profession. Neither of these are the most lucrative of career choices. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of my jobs, it just means that I need to be frugal in my non-BourbonGuy whiskey spending (and in my BourbonGuy spending to be fair, but here I have an incentive to try new things and maybe stretch the budget now and then).

To that end, my wife and I have come up with a few “Tiers” to help us decide what we spend our money on. They aren’t official, but they really do describe how we judge bourbons and decide which bourbons to purchase again. For example, if a Tier I bourbon were to jump up to a Tier II or III price range, I’d certainly judge that bourbon more harshly than I had previously. It’s just human nature.

Tier I: “Cocktail Bourbon” Sub $25 I do not buy bourbons that I would not want to drink neat, not even for cocktails. Well not on purpose, at least. These are the bourbons that I feel comfortable using to make bitters or to cook with. Those that if I need to use 8 to 16 fluid ounces, I don’t feel too bad about it. Of course, I am also happy to use these in cocktails or just have a glass of.

Tier II: “Everyday Drinker” $25-$40 These are the bourbons I buy most often. Mostly because this is the price point that many bourbons fall in. These are the bourbons that I can grab on a whim. Any day that I want a pour of these, I am happy to do so. I might even have a second pour without thinking too hard about it if the mood arises.

Tier III: “Special Shelf” $40-$85 These are the bourbons that I keep on a secondary shelf where I won’t think to grab them all the time. These are the ones that I need to think a little harder about if I want to buy them. And if I decide to buy them, these are the ones I want to last a little longer.

Tier IV: “Second Opinion” $85-$135 These are the bourbons that I call my wife to get a second opinion as to whether we should buy it. She is also the accountant of the family so she can also tell me if that large a purchase is in the budget for a particular week.

Tier V: “Special Circumstance” Above $135 Anything over my Personal Price Ceiling™ is a “Special Circumstance” purchase. We might be on vacation. It might be a limited release from a producer that we trust isn’t going to put out a turd. It goes without saying that these are ones we save up for and need a unanimous decision on. These are the most harshly judged bourbons we buy. If I don’t really, really like it, I feel a little burned by the purchase. And a little less likely to spend that much money from a particular producer again.

So that brings me to tonight’s Bourbon. It is the recently released Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-year-old. We are all aware that I used to sing the praises of the now discontinued Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 6-year-old Bourbon. It was one of my favorite value bourbons. It was almost the very definition of a Tier I bourbon. It competed very well with bourbons such as Wild Turkey 101 and Buffalo Trace on both price and taste. I loved cooking with it and was always happy to toss it in a cocktail. Hell, I’d bring it home by the case whenever I went to Kentucky for just those reasons. But to the dismay of many, in 2018 the 6-year-old Bonded Heaven Hill was discontinued.

In June of 2019, Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-year-old was announced. It will be initially available in California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, South Carolina, and Colorado. It looks like if you live in one of those markets that you should start to see it in October. The suggested price for the new release is $39.99.

Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-year-old Bourbon

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. Suggested Retail price is $39.99 for a 750mL bottle.

Price Per Drink (50ml): $2.67

Details: 50% ABV. 7 year age statement. Distilled at D.S.P.-KY-1. Bottled at D.S.P.-KY-31.

Nose: mint, vanilla, cardamom, cotton candy.

Mouth: mint, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon.

Finish: on the short end of medium length. Notes of cinnamon, cardamom and oak

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Thoughts: There isn't much to say on this one. It’s fine. I like it. It is minty, with a bit of spice. I think I like Elijah Craig better, but this is fine too. I like it, but I don't think it holds up to other $40 Bourbons. In this market, $35-45 will get you Four Roses Single Barrel, the 1792 specialty bourbons, New Riff Bourbon, George Remus, Knob Creek Single Barrel, or Wild Turkey Rare Breed. All of which I like better than this.

But I'm assuming that you are looking to see how it compares to the discontinued Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 6-year-old, aren't you? Anticipating that, I pulled a bottle of my 6-year-old from the closet. And well, these are pretty similar. The six-year is a bit sweeter than the new seven-year. The seven-year is much mintier. Both have a nice hit of oak on the finish. If you loved the six-year, you should love this too as they are pretty similar with only minor differences... at least until you get to the checkout.

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