Catoctin Creek BIB 1757 Brandy XO

I mostly drink whisky, so my notes on a brandy will be skewed by that. Nose: Sweet like candy, maybe cotton candy. Whiff of rancio/oxidation from the barrel aging. Little indication of the fruit that will follow. Palate: Juicy red fruits, like cherries, currants, and sweetened cranberries. Bit of a grape jam contribution in the middle. Firm oak influence, but no wood bitterness. Full-bodied and rounded mouth-feel. Cinnamon and mild pepper spice. Sweet, but less so than the nose suggests. Finish: Fairly lengthy. Tapers off from the fruit to leave a spicy tingling sensation. A slight smoky or charred note that was hinted at in the palate increases in the finish. Overall: Surprisingly easy to drink for 100 proof. The burn from the alcohol is more like spice, so it just adds to the overall flavor profile. This brandy really grew on me and it's worth picking up a bottle, if you see it and can throw $90 at your curiosity. It's been a while since I've had the standard 1757, which is good, but this bottle made more of an impression on me than it did- unsurprisingly. Note: The entry for this brandy says it's 10 years old, but, according to the distillery, it's 7.