MrWizard's Ramblings

Thanks to a nice person out there I’ve gotten few bourbon samples to try. These are mostly bourbons that are harder to come by and happen to be cask strength but not so rare as to be unicorns. More of ‘trying before buying situation’. The samples are mostly 1 oz or 2 oz so the notes will be correspondingly (mercifully) brief:

Starter/Pregame Elijah Craig Small Batch 94 proof, to clear the palate

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch C919 — 136.8 proof
Nose: Vanilla caramel sweetness balanced wood-heavy with leather and a bit of a cherry sourness. Very strong alcohol too.
Palate: Very alcohol-hot. Lots of baking spice trending towards bitter spices, cloves, nutmeg, etc. Caramel is subdued but unmistakably there. Not super sweet but good balance between the wood and spices.
Aftertaste: Cloves and nutmeg and baking spices and caramel and wood. Medium-long length, but the interesting things fade rather fast into burnt numbness.
With water: The alcohol edge is mostly gone and now it’s quite delicious and concentrated. Another to the tally of ‘add few drops of water’ as it primarily reigns in the alcohol so the rest of the flavors can play.
Overall: Certainly strong, concentrated and fiery with a decent balance between wood, spices, sweetness. Based on my other experiences with Elijah Craig, the Barrel Proof is the definitive version to get. Whether or not it’s up to everyone’s taste, that’s unclear. But if you like wood spice rather than rye spice, it’s definitely worth checking out. Would I drink? Yes. Would I buy a bottle? No.
Score: N/A

Heaven Hill “Archives” 10 years old K&L Pick Single Barrel — 133.2 proof (66.6% ABV Devil’s Proof)
Nose: Sweet and light vanilla, with bit of oak coming through, quite subdued.
Palate: Savoury when it hits the tongue. Very unusual and totally not what i expected out of HH. Tobacco and leather with a tad of ash. Smokey and floral.
Aftertaste: More umame and smoke saltiness/bitterness that lasts a while, but makes you want to come back to it.
With water: Sugar is back baby! More balanced between umami and corn sweetness and smoke. This gets a rare ‘add few drops of water’ recommendation from me. Subdues the aftertaste a bit though. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
Overall: Something in-between malt and bourbon. Lacks malt depth or bourbon spice & caramel. Compensates with striding that line of trying to be both in a marketspace with no competition. Thumbs up and definitely worth trying, but don’t get a bottle all for yourself.
Score: N/A

Old Carter American Whiskey Batch 3; 12 year old — 138.1 proof
Nose: Very strong men’s perfume, some wood but balanced with darker aromatics. Seriously, french dark men’s perfume from the 80’s.
Palate: Omg! Coconut and caramel together? Match made in heaven for me. Also while being 138 proof, its quite well balanced. Leather, a bit of baking spice and smoke but back to that sweet-smokey coconut. Luxurious!
Aftertaste: More of the same from palate that lasts for a while. Very long and notes don’t disappear suddenly as it fades out.
With Water: Feels like a sacrilege to dilute it. With few drops: doesn’t seem to have done anything, except maybe bring more cinnamon to the fore. Don’t do it folks! It’s no small feat to enjoy a 138.1-proof, but in this case, it’s worth it!
Overall: YES. Absolutely worth seeking a bottle of this out. This is some of the best alcohol I’ve tried. I love it!
Score: N/A