Bourbon

Elijah Craig 23-Year-Old Bourbon Review

Elijah Craig 23

The oldest of the lineup, Elijah Craig 23-year-old bourbon (EC23) is back again this year.  The release from Heaven Hill Brands marks the second year EC23 is available.  The older Elijah Craig releases, 18 years and up, have all been single barrels, and this year’s EC23 is no exception.  My bottle was barreled on 06/19/1990 from barrel 186.  The Elijah Craig 21-year-old I picked up a couple of years ago was barreled close to the same date.  Keeping in line with the older EC releases, EC23 is bottled at 90 proof and is most likely chill-filtered.  Suggested retail pricing for EC23 is about $200.

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Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon (2015) Review
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Photo courtesy of Angel’s Envy

Available this month, the Louisville Distilling Company is releasing their annual limited-edition release of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength.  This year’s batch is limited to 7,500 bottles in the following markets:  AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, NJ, NY, OH, OR, TN, TX, WA.

If you’re a regular visitor to this whiskey blog, you know I’m a fan of Angel’s Envy, both their port cask-finished bourbon and rum cask-finished rye whiskey.  The Cask Strength has always eluded me.  Thankfully, the folks behind Angel’s Envy were kind enough to send over a small review sample.  Suggested retail price is $169.99.  This year’s release comes in at a hearty 127.9 proof.  The Cask Strength bourbon is aged up to seven years.  Barrels are blended together and finished in casks that previously held port wine.

On the nose, there’s typical bourbon aromas of caramel, vanilla and corn mash.  I also get some fruit (think berries) and orange zest.  Taste-wise, there’s a burst of vanilla, fruit (plum, berries) and honey.  A bit of burnt orange pops up afterwards.  The high proof, while a little rough-around-the-edges, makes this a full bodied whiskey.  The finish here is sweet corn, orange and some spice.

You can probably guess what I’m going to say about this one.  It’s a good one.  I think the flavors work well together.  However, I wish the port finish showcased stronger on the finish.  Nitpicking aside, if you like the normal expression of Angel’s Envy bourbon, you’ll most likely find this outstanding.  You wouldn’t be wrong.

8.5/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Angel’s Envy.)

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection – 13 Year-Old Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon Review

The latest Experimental Collection release from Buffalo Trace Distillery involves the sour mash process.  Just about all bourbon is made using sour mash.  Basically, once the mash is cooked, some setback (previously distilled mash) is quickly added to “sour” the mash before yeast is added for fermentation.  It helps control PH levels during fermentation, which affects the final flavor of the whiskey.  It also helps achieve consistency between batches.

What Buffalo Trace has done here is slightly different.  According to their press release, the mash was “cooked and cooled to standard; however, the similarities stop there. The mash was allowed “to sour” before yeast was added to start the fermentation process, a method long abandoned due to its more laborious process.”

These particular whiskies were distilled in 2002 and entered barrels at two different entry proofs – 105 and 125.  They were aged for 13 years on the seventh floor of Warehouse I.  Barrel entry proof also affects how the final bourbon turns out.

105 Entry Proof

The lighter nose of the two, the 105 Entry proof carries a large vanilla note.  I also get light caramel and cherries.  All the aromas here seem to be separated and easily picked out.  The official tasting notes mention vanilla and fruit for the palate.  That fruit to me is cherry.  Those two notes really dominate the palate.  There’s a hint of oak and little brown sugar.  The finish turns a bit dry.

125 Entry Proof

The nose here is a bit more traditional – caramel, vanilla, spice, and oak.  A caramelized cherry note is also present.  The aromas here seem more compact or concentrated compared to the 105 Entry Proof expression.  There is a bit more body here, maybe even oilier.  Oak spiciness shines here, along with fruit and light burnt sugar.  The finish isn’t as dry as in the 105, and comes across as sweet.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection releases are always interesting, and this Sour Mash experiment is no different.  The fun comes in comparing and contrasting the two sibling releases.  Both are superb whiskies, and I recommend picking both up to experience how different entry proofs will yield different whiskies.

8.5/10
(Note:  A review sample was provided by Buffalo Trace Distillery.)