Well, after the Knob Creek label on the Hokus Pokus pick, Hokus Pokus decided to sort of put me on the label of their Elijah Craig Private Barrel bourbon. Yes, I have a black leather chair, a wooden desk, and a green banker’s lamp on said desk. If they had put a bow tie on the ghost, I would have zero plausible deniability about this label. I may have to stage that photo in my office next week just for laughs.

Now, when I first saw the label, I wasn’t thinking Warren Zevon, I was thinking, yes, I am a lawyer, send me bourbon and money! This Elijah Craig is the standard 94 proof, but aged 11 years and 2 months. I have not been a big fan of Elijah Craig standard releases since they dropped the age statement. Some of them have this peanut funk and are not very good. I do love the barrel proof, and luckily this bottling has more in common with the barrel proof flavor wise that the standard releases.

On the nose is delightful baking spice, vanilla, brown sugar. Decent legs for a 94 proof bourbon. On the palate, more baking spice, vanilla, and brown sugar with cinnamon and oak on the end. Very buttery rich mouthfeel. No peanut funk! Really a smooth and flavorful sipper. At $32 a bottle, I would buy this all day long. What also gets me is the long lingering finish you normally only find with 100 proof (or more) bourbons is present on this, and it is nice. A really good bourbon.

While I was picking up mine at Hokus today, someone in the store had me try the Henry McKenna not bottled in bond but the cheap $10 stuff, and it was awful. Heaven Hill really can put out a nice product, but not always…

Of course, the only problem is that Hokus Pokus posted a picture of this bourbon on Facebook yesterday and when I went into the Alexandria store to pick up mine (that were reserved, lol) they actually sold out of what was left and they were limited to two per customer. Now, Prairieville still hasn’t received their cases, and Lake Charles may still have some. But, Alexandria is out. Looks like everyone has figured out that Hokus barrel picks are amazing, and at $32 a bottle who wouldn’t go for this.