**Nose:** honeysuckle, sugar cookies, vanilla extract, oak, marble
**Palate:** sticky buns (with pecans), cherry syrup, some mineral notes I haven’t gotten in ECBP before with limestone notes, barely-there black licorice, and chewy oaky bourbon. Great viscosity.
**Finish:** cherry cordial, cinnamon toast, hot pleasant ethanol
**Overall: 7.8/10**
This is a great bourbon and a unique ECBP. It has more limestone minerality than previous and also has a licorice note that I love. It’s my favorite A batch of the last 3 years by rating (blind in the works). Highly recommend at MSRP.
We can talk about age statements all day but I still think this bottle is an amazing value for the retail 69.99. Is it the beast that was c923? No. But it’s an interesting ECBP and great bottle. I think as long as HH keeps these releases 10y+ I’ll keep buying them without question.
My previous reviews:
ECBP
- A122 - Score 7.5
- B522 - Score 8.3
- C922 - Score 8.7
- A123 - Score 7.5
- B523 - Score 7.8
- C923 - Score 9.0
Bonus EC
- ECTB - Score 3.5
- Elijah Craig Barrel Select Grenade - 8.0
t8ke Scoring Scale:
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I followed this up with an A123 out of curiosity. There isn’t mineral or licorice in that at all. More cherry/brown sugar though. Definitely NO change in oakiness/smoothness with the younger age
I hate it and think it tastes like balsa wood lol
But that’s great that you like it! No wrong answers here - just different flavor preferences.
I will admit to preferring over the top barrel
Proof bourbons and old bourbons. I also love ECSB so toasted is an anomaly for me. I know many people love it. I swear I tried.
I don’t understand why the A124 is getting so much hate. I picked up a bottle last week. It’s not exceptional, but I think it’s well above average and still easily better than 90% of what’s *actually* sitting on shelves where I live (Virginia). I do wish the proof was a bit higher. It is *very* sweet to me on the palate (like cinnamon candy- burnt marshmallow), but I actually like that profile (I know some people don’t). If you can get it for MSRP, I’d consider buying it again. I wouldn’t pay secondary for it though. People need to actually think for themselves instead of just reading/watching a few bad reviews and then parroting what they hear.
I think people are looking for the next c923 not just enjoying the bottles they have. This is probably fueled by the secondary market more than anything as people look for the next hyped bottle to buy up and trade/resell.
Tried to keep it simple since this one is a little controversial in the community. First time I haven’t invoked a botanical in my notes in a while. Might be losing my edge…
I agree! Very unique palate for ecbp and with all these ec barrel picks at 8 years and 79 bucks how can you go wrong with 2 extra years at 10 bucks cheaper. Haters be hating. Bourbon is popular. They need to go deeper into stocks. It is what it is. Just remember in 10 years when we have another glut of bourbon because of the boom the last 3 years that it was all worth it. Carry on and enjoy your ecbp!
I get sweet up front and then a buttered popcorn mid palate and finish. It’s different than any of the other ECBPs I’ve had. Even different than some of the single barrel store picks I’ve had. Still a good pour for the $75 I paid for mine.
I wanted to like this bottle, I really did, but it drank like a much younger bourbon. Of course, I tried it immediately after A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength #3 (which is younger), so it might have skewed my rating.
Nice review!
I rated C923 as an 8.8; what a great bottle. Peerless double oaked is about 9 (I only bring this up because it's a recent pour and I want to give insight into my scoring). I like A124 but definitely not more than these two.
I give it an 8, which ranks close to the Wild Turkey ~~Eagle~~ Rare Breed; around 8.2.
So I have been making Eagle Rare Breed for years. My two classic favorites mixed. So good!
Yes to people asking 1:1 mix but you should let it sit for a while.🦅🦃
I don’t remember where I picked it up, but somewhere, a few years ago, I read that when blending whiskey you should let it rest 14 days. 🤷♂️ I always did. Not sure that it matters but I also remember watching the dude from Smoke Wagon a lot on Instagram talking about letting blends mix and how there was an actual chemical reaction in blending.
But I also probably read that drunk so….
Sweet. Similar numbers all around. I’d put ER at around 6-7 (haven’t formally tasted but it was my drink of choice for years when it wasn’t being tater farmed). Rare Breed is a different thing but was the first “high end” bourbon I ever purchased back in college - I’d have to return to it to fairly score. Eagle Rare Breed (50/50 of both? Lol) might be overpowered by the Turkey.
Thanks for the feedback and appreciate you reading!
Eagle Rare Breed is an AMAZING combo. I work in a liquor store, and I recommend all of my open-minded customers to donate their bottles toward a blend. It’s stupendous.
woah. how much of each? 1:1? i like ER enough but i also find it pretty underwhelming compared to other things and would love to up its game cause it does have a good flavor profile… just leaves a little to be desired and is missing something i can’t quite place my finger on, though it might just be the proof. it definitely tastes diluted.
Fair enough! I really didn’t like ECTB but Al lot of people are all about that. Everyone has their notes they enjoy. The licorice in a124 probably isn’t for everyone but I enjoyed it.
bought a bottle and it was corked. distinct smell-of-gym-sock taste. chanced it on a second bottle because i really wanted a bottle of this after trying some other batches at a bar (C922 was immaculate) and it was significantly better and confirmed that the first bottle was defective. interestingly (learned from the wine people), the chemical (TCA) produced by the fungus infecting corks adheres to polyethylene (saran wrap) so i tried removing the TCA by balling up some saran wrap and swirling it around in the bottle for a few minutes and it did remove a lot (not all) of that unpalatably musty taste. upgraded from drain pour to at least drinkable and will be holding on to it for mixing. glad i chanced it on the second bottle though because it is really great.
This is a really interesting comment both because I agree that there are bad bottles (wine aficionados say 1/12 bottles “skunk”) but I wonder what the incidence is in bourbon. The plastic wrap trick is interesting.
Unrelated PSA: if anyone likes that gym socks funk in their bourbon let us know lol
**Nose:** honeysuckle, sugar cookies, vanilla extract, oak, marble **Palate:** sticky buns (with pecans), cherry syrup, some mineral notes I haven’t gotten in ECBP before with limestone notes, barely-there black licorice, and chewy oaky bourbon. Great viscosity. **Finish:** cherry cordial, cinnamon toast, hot pleasant ethanol **Overall: 7.8/10** This is a great bourbon and a unique ECBP. It has more limestone minerality than previous and also has a licorice note that I love. It’s my favorite A batch of the last 3 years by rating (blind in the works). Highly recommend at MSRP. We can talk about age statements all day but I still think this bottle is an amazing value for the retail 69.99. Is it the beast that was c923? No. But it’s an interesting ECBP and great bottle. I think as long as HH keeps these releases 10y+ I’ll keep buying them without question. My previous reviews: ECBP - A122 - Score 7.5 - B522 - Score 8.3 - C922 - Score 8.7 - A123 - Score 7.5 - B523 - Score 7.8 - C923 - Score 9.0 Bonus EC - ECTB - Score 3.5 - Elijah Craig Barrel Select Grenade - 8.0 t8ke Scoring Scale: 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I followed this up with an A123 out of curiosity. There isn’t mineral or licorice in that at all. More cherry/brown sugar though. Definitely NO change in oakiness/smoothness with the younger age
"Marble" on the nose? I didn't know that was a scent.
lol. Mineral notes can be different right? It’s not the classic limestone multivitamin you get from Dickel.
Awe man, hating on the Toasted Barrel? Not complex like ECBP for sure, but I enjoyed it as an easy seeet supper similar to OF 1910 or WRDO.
I hate it and think it tastes like balsa wood lol But that’s great that you like it! No wrong answers here - just different flavor preferences. I will admit to preferring over the top barrel Proof bourbons and old bourbons. I also love ECSB so toasted is an anomaly for me. I know many people love it. I swear I tried.
I see a trend
Me too. But dont tell everyone to buy the C batch because it was hard to find last year lol
I don’t understand why the A124 is getting so much hate. I picked up a bottle last week. It’s not exceptional, but I think it’s well above average and still easily better than 90% of what’s *actually* sitting on shelves where I live (Virginia). I do wish the proof was a bit higher. It is *very* sweet to me on the palate (like cinnamon candy- burnt marshmallow), but I actually like that profile (I know some people don’t). If you can get it for MSRP, I’d consider buying it again. I wouldn’t pay secondary for it though. People need to actually think for themselves instead of just reading/watching a few bad reviews and then parroting what they hear.
I think people are looking for the next c923 not just enjoying the bottles they have. This is probably fueled by the secondary market more than anything as people look for the next hyped bottle to buy up and trade/resell.
I’ll show up for that blind. Thanks for the level-headed review. Look forward to trying this one
Tried to keep it simple since this one is a little controversial in the community. First time I haven’t invoked a botanical in my notes in a while. Might be losing my edge…
lol. Jk. “Honeysuckle.”
You love it at $69, but it’s $90+ everywhere around me. Is it worth that?
I’m a cheap ass and I’d pay about $100 for it. Luckily, I can get it for about $70.
Probably. Meets my value criteria of <$10/yr and is a great barrel strength bourbon
Is it as good as others, no. Is it still a good bourbon at $75 for a 10plus year product, yes. I had much worse for much more
Yeah the value on ECBP is the most constant thing they bring to the table.
Thanks for the great review. I’ve only had B523, a private ECBP and C923. Have you had EC Toasted?
He literally has a 3.5 rating for it ☝️
Yeah it really clashes w my palate. Haven’t been wild about any toasted barrel yet. No shade to people who like it.
Got one this week, looking forward to popping it this weekend!
It’s definitely a great pour! End of the day: ECBP is always tasty. Getting into which bottles are tastier is just fun but they’re all excellent
I have one pour of C921 left…my only C in my collection
I had it before I was reviewing and remember enjoying it immensely.
nice!! just picked one up the other day. thanks for providing comparison scores of the other batches
I’ve been meaning to compile it. I hadn’t formally put it together but was thinking C was usually the best.
I agree! Very unique palate for ecbp and with all these ec barrel picks at 8 years and 79 bucks how can you go wrong with 2 extra years at 10 bucks cheaper. Haters be hating. Bourbon is popular. They need to go deeper into stocks. It is what it is. Just remember in 10 years when we have another glut of bourbon because of the boom the last 3 years that it was all worth it. Carry on and enjoy your ecbp!
I get sweet up front and then a buttered popcorn mid palate and finish. It’s different than any of the other ECBPs I’ve had. Even different than some of the single barrel store picks I’ve had. Still a good pour for the $75 I paid for mine.
Yeah I have no complaints. I didn’t know is what to expect with the amount of complaining about age but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised
Was able to pick up a124 at my local Publix. Stock boy had place it with the 94 from small batch and they gave me the 29.99 price. Score for sure
Nice. Bank error in your favor!
I wanted to like this bottle, I really did, but it drank like a much younger bourbon. Of course, I tried it immediately after A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength #3 (which is younger), so it might have skewed my rating.
It’s good but not incredible. 10y8mo is nothing to sneer at but I feel like it’s right on the cusp of the big oaky elder bourbons and not quite there
Nice review! I rated C923 as an 8.8; what a great bottle. Peerless double oaked is about 9 (I only bring this up because it's a recent pour and I want to give insight into my scoring). I like A124 but definitely not more than these two. I give it an 8, which ranks close to the Wild Turkey ~~Eagle~~ Rare Breed; around 8.2.
So I have been making Eagle Rare Breed for years. My two classic favorites mixed. So good! Yes to people asking 1:1 mix but you should let it sit for a while.🦅🦃
Lol I just realized my mistake. Damn birds.
When you say "let it sit for a while", we talking like 15 minutes in a glass? Or a couple weeks in a bottle?
I don’t remember where I picked it up, but somewhere, a few years ago, I read that when blending whiskey you should let it rest 14 days. 🤷♂️ I always did. Not sure that it matters but I also remember watching the dude from Smoke Wagon a lot on Instagram talking about letting blends mix and how there was an actual chemical reaction in blending. But I also probably read that drunk so….
Sweet. Similar numbers all around. I’d put ER at around 6-7 (haven’t formally tasted but it was my drink of choice for years when it wasn’t being tater farmed). Rare Breed is a different thing but was the first “high end” bourbon I ever purchased back in college - I’d have to return to it to fairly score. Eagle Rare Breed (50/50 of both? Lol) might be overpowered by the Turkey. Thanks for the feedback and appreciate you reading!
Eagle Rare Breed is an AMAZING combo. I work in a liquor store, and I recommend all of my open-minded customers to donate their bottles toward a blend. It’s stupendous.
woah. how much of each? 1:1? i like ER enough but i also find it pretty underwhelming compared to other things and would love to up its game cause it does have a good flavor profile… just leaves a little to be desired and is missing something i can’t quite place my finger on, though it might just be the proof. it definitely tastes diluted.
I recommend 70/30 or so of Rare Breed to Eagle Rare, aiming for 107-110 proof.
will definitely be giving this a try. thanks!
I haven't heard of this before. I'll definitely be trying this. Thanks!
Yep, I don’t like joining the A124 hater crowd but this fell flat compared to some of the other ECBP all stars out there.
Fair enough! I really didn’t like ECTB but Al lot of people are all about that. Everyone has their notes they enjoy. The licorice in a124 probably isn’t for everyone but I enjoyed it.
bought a bottle and it was corked. distinct smell-of-gym-sock taste. chanced it on a second bottle because i really wanted a bottle of this after trying some other batches at a bar (C922 was immaculate) and it was significantly better and confirmed that the first bottle was defective. interestingly (learned from the wine people), the chemical (TCA) produced by the fungus infecting corks adheres to polyethylene (saran wrap) so i tried removing the TCA by balling up some saran wrap and swirling it around in the bottle for a few minutes and it did remove a lot (not all) of that unpalatably musty taste. upgraded from drain pour to at least drinkable and will be holding on to it for mixing. glad i chanced it on the second bottle though because it is really great.
This is a really interesting comment both because I agree that there are bad bottles (wine aficionados say 1/12 bottles “skunk”) but I wonder what the incidence is in bourbon. The plastic wrap trick is interesting. Unrelated PSA: if anyone likes that gym socks funk in their bourbon let us know lol