Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: C921

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

You know, I like Bourbon. I know that doesn’t come as a shock to most of you since, well, I do tend to write about it twice a week. But it is worth saying now and then when you are someone who acts as a critic. I love bourbon. Everything I write on this site stems from that. I won’t go so far as to say there is no bad bourbon, there is. (Cough…TerrePure…cough cough). But generally, I like bourbon. It’s one of the reasons the majority of products get a “like” rating. I just generally like the stuff. Occasionally there is one that I very much dislike. Like, it is bad. Or that really does nothing for me. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t for me. I don’t have this happen too often because I try really hard to only purchase things I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy. I mean, I’m going to have the rest of the bottle left after the review and I can only use so much prop bourbon.

But every so often, something surprises me. I’ve been doing this long enough that when a sample of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof shows up, I know I’m going to really enjoy it. I expect that and have never been disappointed. It is just damn fine whiskey. But this time I was surprised. Read on to see why.

Eijah Craig Barrel Proof, C921

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: 60.1% ABV. 12-years-old.

Nose: Caramel, mint, red fruits, chocolate, and vanilla.

Mouth: Warm, but not as hot as the proof would lead you to expect. Sweet with notes of caramel, vanilla, allspice, red fruits, and chocolate.

Finish: Medium-long and sweet. Notes of floral vanilla, chocolate and baking spices.

Thoughts: This is delicious. Even at 120 proof it is drinkable neat. Sweet caramel, vanilla, and chocolate throughout. Nice baking spice notes. It isn’t enough to say that I'm a big fan of this one. I love it.

Comparison to B521: In my opinion, there is no question that C921 is better in every way. It is richer in the mouth and on the nose. Sweeter, spicier, better mouthfeel. It's so good. Don't get me wrong, I really liked B521, but I love C921! If you run across it, do yourself a favor and buy it. This might be the best bourbon I've had this year.

In fact, I’m going to pull out a very seldom used award. I’m going to say that Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 is only the second recipient of the BourbonGuy.com Bourbon of the Year Award. I only give this to bourbons that are by far the best thing I’ve had all year. The last one was awarded way back in 2017. I haven’t had a bourbon that was that much better than every other bourbon since. But this one qualifies. Nice job Heaven Hill!


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, posters, and more.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series V

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing the review sample with no strings attached.

Thanks to the magic that is Comixology Unlimited, I’ve found myself reading a lot of old comic books lately. For as long as I remember reading, I remember reading comic books. I’ve always read a wide variety of books. From novels to history textbooks, the fantastic to the non-fiction. I just love stories. I love reading them and I love writing them. It’s one of the reasons I start these reviews with as many personal anecdotes as I do. But comic books were always there in the mix of my reading choices. Lately, I’ve been digging deep into DC’s Vertigo lineup from the late 1980s and early 90s. I was too young to read these when they came out, but I was introduced to the Sandman in college and have revisited it periodically over intervening decades. Sometimes it’s nice to revisit something that you just know is going to be good.

I feel that way about tonight’s bourbon too. I’ve reviewed every iteration of Remus Repeal Reserve and I’ve liked every single one. MGP makes fantastic whiskey, even if their choice of namesake leaves a bit to be desired. (Speaking of rereading old content, I wrote about George Remus way back in 2017 during the first release of this product. I think it was pretty good. If you haven’t read it before, give it a look.)

Series V of Remus Repeal Reserve is a medley of two different MGP produced bourbons, their 21% Rye recipe (mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley malt) and their 36% Rye recipe (mash bill: 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% barley malt). They use a combination of ages of these recipes in order to make the final product. And as usual, they give you the percentage breakdown right on the front label. Series V is made from 9% 2005 Bourbon (21% Rye), 5% 2005 Bourbon (36% Rye), 19% 2006 Bourbon (21% Rye), 13% 2008 Bourbon (21% Rye) and 54% 2008 Bourbon (36% Rye).

Let’s dive in and see how it tastes.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series V, 2021

Purchase price: This sample was graciously provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99. Releases September 2021.

Price per Drink (50mL): $6.00

Nose: Green apple, clove, caramel, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Nice and spicy. Cinnamon, oak, caramel, and almond.

Finish: Spicy and long. Nutmeg, almond, black tea, oak, and caramel.

Thoughts: This is one to keep an eye out for. I've been a big fan of most editions of Remus Repeal Reserve, and I'm fully aware this might be recency bias, but I think this might be the best yet. This one is getting a heart. I love it and I'm really hoping to get my hands on another bottle when it releases in September.


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, posters, and more.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch C920

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

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


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.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch B520

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

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.

Love-vector.png

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.


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 6, The Kelvin Collaboration II

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

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.

Love-vector.png

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.


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.