Bulleit Bourbon Blenders' Select No. 001

N: Lots of vanilla mixed with some kind of weird cooked fruit note - maybe lemon and strawberry. Then there's something like a dusty, old book that's been coated with wood polish and then dusted with cinnamon. Old, dried bits of tobacco, some leather, and a little wood smoke. Caramel and toffee come in later as it opens. There's a nut note that feels like it's right in between peanut and almond - like maybe if you mixed peanut butter and almond butter, just not quite that rich. Lots of baking spice and maybe some red fruit that combine into a pie-like scent. Some noticeable ethanol. A lot going on, but feels like it takes some effort to tease it out. P: Sweet and fruity first with gooey strawberry jam laced with cinnamon. Caramel and vanilla custard with a buttery pie crust note underneath. Chocolate, more baking spice, red fruit. Lots of oak influence - both hot and bitter. Finish is long and hot. It's almost all cayenne and chili pepper. Ethanol also adds heat to the finish, although I hadn't noticed it earlier. Some bitter oak notes. Little bit of chocolate. Not much else, but it lasts a long time - one of the longest finishes I've experienced. Long story short: this has some good things going for it, but I never really warmed to it, and I don't love it. I'd call it a 50/50 bottle - if it appeals to you for some reason, I'd say grab it. If it's a reach, not worth the reach. That said, I'll certainly be curious to try the next batch.