Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B523 Bourbon

First sip is delectable with Hershey's strawberry milk. The profile on this glass is incredibly vanilla forward - a fairly typical dominant flavor for Heaven Hill. It reminds me a touch of creamy horchata. Talk about crushable... This one just begs for another sip with the perfect level of sweetness. Indulging, I find the same creamy vanilla profile coats every surface of the mouth in a long, slightly effervescent linger. Touches of praline, graham cracker and Easter candy give just enough depth for this to be worthy of savoring. Mmm. Suddenly the faint candied nut flavors that were hiding in the background become the star of the show. Candied pecans with that rich, buttery texture swing in before soft cocktail cherry notes trail off slowly. A longer sip and swish produce great heft with no heat; cinnamon raisin bread and peanut brittle arm wrestle a bit before the big brother of vanilla swoops in to break things up. Everything about this glass is playful, lighthearted and delicious. It feels as welcoming as the friendliest home, delivering that bread-in-the-oven comfort of a homemade meal to come. My last sip is liquid dessert. Cherry pie, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and infinite undulations of scrumptious praline leave me longing for any other whiskey that can produce that array of flavor. The finish is long, smoldering and sweet. Just lovely.