George Remus Single Barrel Straight Bourbon (2020 Release)

125.5 proof 62.75 alc/vol

122.5 proof, 2020 Ohlq pick. Sweet boozy butterscotch bomb. Will revisit in a week or so.

Rating: 15/23 N: This nose is on the lighter side. I get something faintly nutty in the coconut or almond range, but it's light. There's a hint of banana/caramel. Maybe a little bit of wood. My immediate impression is of a less bold and complex Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof. The Jack Daniels has a little more banana and much more green vibrancy, as well as more of a light floral vanilla as opposed to the more mineral character here, but the overall impression is still kind of similar. Between the two, I would take the Jack Daniels without question though. P: It's spicier than I'd expected. I'm getting some clear rye spice and minerality in here along with a bit of light banana (though lighter on the banana than I'd expected) and caramel. I get more of apple peel and something kind of bitter and tart on the fruity side. There isn't much of it and the profile is dry. I'm feeling a little bit of a harsh burn beyond just the effect of the high ABV. There's a faint floral wood going on and the palate is kind of chewy from the high ABV. I get a bit of tartness from what I presume is a sour mash, but there isn't a ton else going on. I feel like there might be some other flavor, but it's muddled in there. The added proof is nice here, but the overall complexity and richness and even fullness aside from the raw ABV are low. There might be a dash of smoke and more robust wood, but it's minimal. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof absolutely knocks the socks off of this in terms of complexity, richness, fullness, and quality of flavor. There just is no comparison. F: The wood, and kind of bitter but still very light caramel linger. Toward the long finish, I get a faint green banana, but there isn't much. It's totally serviceable, but uninteresting. - Conclusion - This whiskey mainly benefits from its high proof. I'd put it on a similar level with Russell's Reserve 10 (without benefitting from oxidation) and Elijah Craig Small Batch. I'm looking in the 14 to 16 range here and leaning more toward a 15 or 16. I was going to go with a 16, but then I remembered that harshness, so I'm landing on a 15. Thanks to @pkingmartin for sharing!