I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
Hello from the past! I’m on vacation at the moment. If everything is going well I should currently be enjoying the sights of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. I love nature, especially when experienced in a National Park that I’ve never before visited. So I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that I am currently having a blast.
But you came here for the bourbon, I get that. So let’s get down to it.
Last year, the September edition of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (there are three editions per year released in January, May, and September) was only the second bourbon to receive a BourbonGuy.com Bourbon of the Year award since the award was introduced in 2017. There just weren’t that many bourbons that stood head and shoulders above the competition in the intervening years that would warrant the honor. So needless to say, I really enjoyed last year’s September edition.
So let’s see how this year’s September release does.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, C922
Purchase Info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67
Details: 12-years-old. 62.4% ABV.
Nose: This smells like a cookie. Notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and oak.
Mouth: Hot, but sweet. Notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon and oak. It's exactly like I would have guessed from the nose.
Finish: Warm and long. Notes of cinnamon and oak.
Thoughts: This is really good, as usual. Rich, thick, and delicious. Water brings out the oak and tames the heat. Not a Bourbon of the Year winner this year, but not because C922 isn’t good. It is very good. It’s just that the other Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases have been just as good. Let’s look at how C922 compares to May’s B522.
Comparison to B522: The nose on C922 is sweeter. The mouth of B522 shows more baking spice, whereas C922 is much sweeter. If I had to choose, I'd pick C922 personally. It just captures that "stereotypical Bourbon" flavor better. And because I have a sweet tooth. But both are delicious and if you see either on the shelf near the suggested retail price, I’d pick it up. Even if you have one in your closet already. Big, big fan.
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