Review #333 - Elijah Craig 10 Year Private Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'John Dillinger'
When naming their barrel picks, the Wiseguy Lounge often uses the names of gangsters or mobsters due to the bar's mob/speakeasy theme. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, John Dillinger was a gangster and bank robber, active during the Great Depression - after a series of crimes and prison escapes, he was caught and killed by police in the mid-1930s.
This bottle of bourbon that carries his name is from Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig brand. It's a private barrel bottling, presented at barrel proof, which is 60.75% ABV (121.5 proof) in this case. It has a nice 10 year age statement (10 years and 10 months, to be precise), and like the rest of the barrel proof Elijah Craigs, it's not chill filtered. It was aged in warehouse BB, on the 5th floor.
Elijah Craig 10 Year Private Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'John Dillinger'
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 120 (2023)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 60.75% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered; barrel 6257118, barreled August 17, 2012; bottled June 12, 2023
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 40% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Deep and rich sweetness, a bit softer, too - lots of brown sugar, and we get some red fruit like cherries. Oak comes in, dark and charred.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; cherries take center stage, dark sweet cherries like Luxardo. Sweet in general, but there's also a strong oak influence, which brings tannins, wood smoke, and spice. Quite oily, too.
Finish: A long finish, oily and spicy, with oak as a dominant theme. There are sugary notes like brown sugar and molasses, as well as a kick from tannins. In the aftertaste, more fruit develops - cherry, blood orange, even a bit of grape.
Final Note: Still strongly flavored, but this one was on the subtler side of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof bourbons - great dark sugary flavors, and hints of spice, but not too much. We enjoyed the fruity side that developed with time, which gave the red cherry we get from time to time in Elijah Craig, but also some more unusual fruits in the finish.
Another expensive private barrel from the brand - value is okay. It has a lot of good flavor, but it comes at quite a cost.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.08
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
