Non-Chill Filtered Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Nick

We’ve highlighted before the idea that proof means flavor. Proof on it’s own isn’t doesn’t mean flavor though. While many factors are important to create the flavor profile of bourbon (mash bill, cask type, etc), perhaps few are so regarded as longer aging. So when the most recent Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923 – showed a 133 proof and a 13 year, 7 month age people became understandably excited. So does this combination of age and proof work out.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Proof: 133 (66.5% A.B.V.)
Age: 13 years, 7 months
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
Price (MSRP): $75

Sight: Auburn to Mahogany

Smell: To start, it’s 130+ proof, so just don’t stick your nose directly in it. There’s undeniable heat, but behind it are sweet layers of lacy caramel, spiced oak, vanilla, burnt marshmallow, sarsaparilla, and brown sugar. The vanilla in particular is fragrant and luscious, wrapping floral vanilla bean notes around the baking spices. There’s a bit of nuttiness in the background, and a bit of preserved cherry.

Sip: The body is rich and silky from the start, and the heat begins to build, but slower than the nose would suggest. The flavors gather steam, pulling in creme brulee like vanilla and burnt sugar. Caramel wraps around and builds elements of bing cherry. The oak then steps in with plenty of spice and almost a hint of candied orange. There’s a subtle brown sugar like sweetness, but it gives ways to a strong hazelnut note and perhaps some other nuts. A hint of char is present as well.

Savor: The ending carries forward a wonderful candied praline and layered with vanilla and almost latte like mellowed coffee and char. The spices linger in the background and lean toward a dessert like mocha. Somehow the finish almost feels creamy and coating. As it lingers, the tannins of the oak expand, give a velvet feeling as the flavors continue to linger.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923 is impressively balanced, sweet, complex and rich. The flavors are built on a dessert like sweetness but have a great reflection of the char and spice of the oak. Amazingly, despite the proof, it never really gets hot. The lingering finish is pretty, and carries forward the mix of oak and sweet in a balanced way. There’s a ton to love about sipping this, and it should only get better with time.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is unsurprisingly aggressively and powerful. The notes of oak and perfumed vanilla take the lead here with burnt marshmallow, caramel, praline, and mocha leading the charge. The flavors are assertive and pleasant, but beg you to take notice. The ending has a lovely dark chocolate and concentrated brown sugar note with plenty of oak. There’s a nice luscious caramel drizzle and creamy note that occasionally comes through. Overall, this is a heavy handed Manhattan that will mostly apply to those who are a big fan of barrel proof whiskey offerings.

In Review – Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923 is delicious neat. There’s no getting around the fact that the team at Heaven Hill has produced a particularly good batch with a 13 year age statement. Without a doubt this whiskey will be showing up on several ‘top whiskey of the year’ lists As a result, this is a no brainer at MSRP ($75), and one that those who enjoy high proof, high age statements should hunt down. Unfortunately, as of the time of writing, the secondary market on this is asking for up to double that price. While it’s good, that’s a bitter swallow (approaching $150).

Those looking for cocktails are going to find this one a little harder to justify. While the flavors are delicious, there’s a lot going on here for the average drinker. Additionally, many cocktail elements may impact some of the neat nuances. Combining this with the proof, and you could also set some guests down a path to more consumption than plan. For all these reasons, this is a bottle that we definitely recommend, but more so for enjoying neat than making drinks.

Previous Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Reviews:

Elijah Craig B520

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520

Posted on February 1, 2023January 15, 2023 by Nick

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was one of the first bourbons that captured my attention in a way that I felt the need to try to obtain a bottle of it. The reviews discussed soaring notes of caramels, brown sugar, toasty oak, and amazing desserts. They spoke as though the burn doesn’t exist, and that it tastes like dessert. It took me over a year to track down a bottle here in a Ohio, so did Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520 live up to the hype that sent me down this bourbon rabbit hole?

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520

Sight: A solid tawny

Smell: The nose is massive out of the gate. It explodes with vanilla, spice, massive cherries, pepper, and tons of oak. Caramel drizzles through the whole thing and sweet notes of graham cracker and baked snickerdoodles come through. The nose has some heat to it, giving away it’s proof. The vanilla almost has a creaminess and hides a cigar box like note.

Sip: The start of the sip is full bodied with a little bit of sweetness. It opens with a quick disappearing of fruitiness, followed by caramel and vanilla bean, before spice finally begins to build. The flavors of bruleed sugar mix with cigar box and toasted oak. The spice continues to build moving to clove, dark chocolate, and cinnamon territory that head for touches of roasted or slightly burnt notes. Heat sneaks into the picture and some floral characteristics of ethanol flit around the edge with some dried cherries and freeze dried strawberry.

Savor: The end shows a pop of red fruit before it slides massively into oak and spice. The finish lingers with a cigar box / toasted tobacco element.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a big, bruising puncher of a barrel proofer that delivers on flavor with a side of power. There’s some really amazing vanilla and caramel notes that come out of this bourbon. The spice and baked good notes are also impressive. All things consider, it’s powerful, a bit hot, and truly tasty. It has enough complexity to keep you coming back, but enough heat to remind you what it is.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Elijah Craig Barrel Proof adds a richness to the body with plenty of the caramel and vanilla that make it since on it’s own. The spice becomes super charged, and leaves the fruitiness in the back seat. A truly interesting coffee and toasted marshmallow like note come out at the ending. The vermouth struggles to keep up here, and the bitters actually super charge the oak. While it’s does make a decent Manhattan, you can make a better Manhattan with a cheaper whiskey.

In Review – Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B520

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B520 is incredibly interesting on it’s own, but is a little aggressive for work in cocktails. The result is mostly as intended, a beautiful bourbon for drinking one neat. As such, the way we recommend you drink it is neat. If you feel the need for a higher proof bourbon to do some of the work, give

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9

Posted on November 30, 2022December 17, 2022 by Nick

Perhaps few Rye whiskeys capture the annual attention that A Midwinter Night’s Dram receives. Bottled by High West Distillery, this is their Rendezvous Rye finished in French oak port barrels. The combination leads to flavors most enjoyers compare to various notes of the holidays in a glass, which explains why it’s released toward the late fall. Each year is labeled with an Act, indicating the year, and a scene, which tells you the day of bottling. In the case of a Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 Scene 1, this means our bottle was bottled in 2021, on day 1 of bottling.

If you’re looking for the most current Act, Act 10, I’ve yet to get to try it, so we’re visiting last years offering which I was lucky enough to receive as a present!

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9

Age: No Age Statement (NAS)
Base: Rendezvous Rye
Mash Bill: A blend of MGP sourced Rye (95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley) and High West Distilled Rye (80% Rye, 20% Malted Rye)
Finish: French Oak port barrels.
Proof: 98.6 (A.B.V. 49.3%)
Secondary Abbreviations: MWND

Sight: A lovely tawny-auburn.

Smell: The nose starts off with deep, jammy plums and fresh figs mixed into rye spices and light Christmas tree essence. Warm toasty vanilla comes through followed by a luxurious caramel, bursting ripe blackberry, and a raspberry sauce. Toasty pecans and baking spices join in with a little bit of an undercurrent of star anise and an underlying green peppercorn or herbaceous notes.

Sip: The vanilla leads off like a bomb with a nice caramel note and then a rush of raspberry and blackberry notes running from fresh to preserved. A light sweetness runs though, and notes of star anise, clove, and other baking spices join excitedly. The body is nicely balanced, and feels rich, and there’s a bit of chocolate and cigar going on here too to balance some of the sweeter dessert elements.

Savor: The finish carries forward a pleasant vanilla that underpins the entire mix. It’s full of subtle pressed plum and berry notes, complete with a bit of the port like tannins that you might associate with the skins. The rye spice grows with some of the oak influence as it lingers, complete with a little touch of that evergreen flavor.

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 is a beautiful mix of well balanced rye spice and delicious vanilla laden port. The influence of both elements stands taught, and they play a balanced and beautiful game of tug of war across the palate. The flavors are clear, clean, and deliciously demonstrate what one would expect from the holiday. With the profile, it’s not hard to understand how just sipping this by the tree, you favorite people, holiday decor, or a fire is worth the price of admission.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan the fig and berry notes of the port explode out with the sweet herbal, fruitiness of the sweet vermouth. The amazing vanilla notes grab some caramelization, and sweet baking spices run through adding complexity. Other notes pop out, like chocolate covered cherries and raspberry jam. The dessert like vanilla icing elements give way to hints of espresso and cigar. Overall, the Manhattan that A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 makes is special, unique, and deep.

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 vs Act 8

Over time, the make up of a Midwinter Night’s Dram has shifted. Originally, the mash bill was made up of not only MGP, but also some very old Barton distillate (some as old as purportedly 15 years+). While you’re unlikely to find any of the original acts, you still can come across acts that are primarily MGP and really leveraged French oak port barrels. A friend of mine was kind enough to provide a sample with one of these previous versions, Act 8.

Color wise, they’re quite similar, but the nose reveals some critical differences. Where Act 9 shows of it’s fruit from the port as the primary influence, Act 8 shows off this creamy vanilla and ice cream like sweetness. There are beautifully jammy notes that join in, with some rye spice, but the focus is more on the vanilla and dessert notes. This carries forward to the palate where the vanilla is more dominate, showing off the pastry cream like elements, including the texture. The spicing is great, and the fruit is more like a drizzled syrup and chopped preserved fruit add-in. The ending carries this linger forward, showing an amazing amount of vanilla. While they’re clearly very much related, the flavor profiles are significantly different.

In Review – A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 is nothing sort of amazing, and a wonderful bottle at the original MSRP. Original MSRP is the operative piece of this statement though, which was only $99.99. This year the MSRP went up to $129 (and $150 in the state of Ohio). The secondary has shifted as well, going from $200ish to over $250 in some cases on the most recent batch. The problem is that while this is a delightful finished rye, it doesn’t overwhelm something like Isaac Bowman (admittedly a bourbon), which retails for around $40. So is it good? Sure, but it no longer justifies it’s price for either MSRP or secondary.

Be aware, the shifts in Acts also create potentially large shifts in the taste. So their Act 10 may be better or worse than the Act 9.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

Posted on November 23, 2022November 21, 2022 by Nick

If you didn’t know, Wild Turkey also makes a rye. Similar to their bourbon, their rye comes in 86 proof and 101 proof offerings, as well as the barrel proof, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye. This product is bottled at the slightly lower 112.2 proof, and is distilled by Wild Turkey (unlike some other producers who use MGP sourced ryes). Given how good the bourbon is, should you also look at enjoying the rye?

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

Proof: 112.2
Age: No Age Statement (Reportedly a blend 4, 6, and 8 year old Kentucky straight ryes)
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered

Sight: Burnished

Smell: The nose really shows a maturity here that’s rounded off some of the more obvious grain and cereal notes that can appear in younger rye. Pops of chocolate, coffee, oak, spice, and a bit of preserved cherry come out. More of the mint and herb rye notes being to emerge toward the edges, but the nose gives a dessert like caramel brown sugar character with a lot of fruitiness and chestnut.

Sip: The sip starts out a touch sweet and then opens up with preserved dark fruits, like cherries, plums, and prune. The rye spice picks up here bringing in brown sugar and massive chestnuts before pepper, spice, cigar box, tobacco, oak, and buckwheat. There’s a honey and resin flavor that sort of flits around and gives a little bit of a floral – herbal complexity. The body is quite big and smooth to start, but gets warm as it goes

Savor: The brown sugar and herbal notes carry over with touches of preserved dark fruit and plenty of rye spice. There’s a decent amount of tannin.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye is complex and refined in all the right ways. The balance of spice, fruit, oak, and delicate floral / herbal notes is well defined, and loaded with powerful flavors. The more important thing is it flows from floral to spicy to nutty to fruity to oaky. There’s no particular are it falls short in. It works neat and shows the restraint of maturity.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan it delivers on the sweetness of the dark preserved fruits with notes like blackberries and prune. These flavors are the amazingly powerful and defined. The rye spice joins with some chestnut notes and pulls out amazing flavors of buckwheat honey and complex tobacco notes. The oak builds on the finish, but almost becomes cabernet or port like. This flavor profile is distinct compared to what most individuals expect of a manhattan. Overall, the flavor profile that Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye brings is a bit unusual, but nothing short of spectacular.

In Review – Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

At $45 – $60 Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye represents a fantastic combination of flavors that work both straight and in cocktails. The cost is high, but at the lower end this is a serious contender to be one of the best possible values you can buy. The flavors are balanced across a variety of different elements, ranging from delicate floral and fruit to robust oak and spice. This is highly recommended as a bottle to add as your primary rye, or to splurge on if you don’t have the means to regularly stock it.

Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Nick

From the first episode, I was hooked. It was late into the night, after midnight, but Anthony Bourdain was gracing my television from Ireland. He talked of the food, the culture, and the people. He talked of how Dublin was growing, and dined with famous chefs. Wanting nothing more than to find amazing food and understand famous chefs better – I couldn’t stop watching. Then in 2007 Anthony Bourdain visited São Paulo on No Reservations, and I learned about cachaça and the beautiful Caipirinha.

Cachaça is a liquor distilled from raw fermented sugarcane juice liquor from Brazil. This differs from rum, in that rum can be produced from molasses or other sugar by products. While it possible to make rum from raw sugarcane juice, such as a rhum agricole, it’s not possible to produce Cachaça from molasses. At one point in it’s history, cachaça was also labeled as Brazilian Rum, but don’t be confused. Compared to traditional rums, cachaça is far closer to a rhum agricole (think more grassy / earthy) than anything you’ll see from Bacardi or Captain Morgan. (To point out how different cachaça really is: When I finally got my hands on a bottle in my younger days, I compared it like a novice to a bastard child of white rum and tequila)

Just like rum, cachaça breaks down into 2 categories, silver (sometimes blanco or white) and gold (or ouro / amarela). Just like rum, silver cachaça is usually bottled immediately, where as the gold are aged (sometimes in native wood). While there are many producers of cachaça in Brazil, finding cachaça in the US can still be a challenge. Among those you might see is Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça

Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça

Sight: Essentially colorless.

Smell: A funky mix of fermented sugar cane juice and ethanol float out of the ether mixing with a grassy note. Touches of pithy citrus, green banana and raw sugar come through.

Sip: A medium weight with a slightly woodsy-grassy like start. A fermented sugar flavor with hints of plantain, tropical fruit, and pepper comes through next while touches of salinity and coconut water lining the background.

Savor: The finish lingers with a sugarcane and woodsy-cask like note. The finish lingers giving a touch of the fermented sugar flavor and plantain chip like flavor.

Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça is a clean, straightforward representation that can function like a workhorse in a cocktail. The sugar cane notes have a hint of tropical to them, and the mild salinity accentuates the flavor. With no oak aging, the spirit is allowed to shine – and you’ll find little trace of vanilla here.

In Caipirinhas

As a result of only being rested in stainless steel Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça ends up being on the savory side of thing. Plantain chips and earthy vegetal notes come forward complimenting the limes. The herbal character crosses with the lime to create a complexity reminiscent of pastis or chartreuse. There’s a balanced sweetness to compliment the savory notes and it lingers in an green, grassy, salinic way. Touches of mushroom flirt around the edges.

While it’s certainly interesting, those predisposed to tropical or vanilla flavors may not find that this is the bottle they reach for. That said, it’s certainly tasty, if not our number one cachaça.

Tag: Non-Chill Filtered

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

In Cocktails

In Review – Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520

In Cocktails

In Review – Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B520

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9

In Cocktails

A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 vs Act 8

In Review – A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

In Cocktails

In Review – Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça

Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça

In Caipirinhas

Other’s Share Their Thoughts on Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça