Kentucky Owl Bourbon (Batch #10)

To change things up, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s continue this blind challenge with the vial that has a pentagon on it. The nose starts with rich decadent chocolate turtles with candied pecans followed by fruits of orange zest and apple fritters along with vanilla creme brûlée that transitions to spearmint, cloves, vintage leather and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a viscous mouthfeel starting with fruits of mandarin oranges, candied cherries and apple fritters along with a light floral element followed by a moderate spice that fades to spearmint, ginger, cloves, vintage leather and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with orange zest, stewed cinnamon caramel apples, chocolate covered candied pecans, vanilla snack pack pudding, ginger, spearmint, cloves, vintage leather and polished mahogany that lingers for minutes. This is basically bourbon perfection in a glass, that starts with big and bold traditional bourbon flavors on the nose followed by a very rich decadent mouthfeel with precision balance of those bourbon notes flowing perfectly until the finale of a long lingering finish that feels like forever with those traditional bourbon notes, vanilla pudding, herbal spices and old polished leather showcasing some very well aged bourbon. Well now that I’m blown away, I’ll need to put this in a cage fight with some of my favorites to see if it can wear that 5-star belt. The competition was fierce with Garrison Brothers Cowboy coming in strong but ultimately suffering a knockout kick to the head due to its overall youthful character really being taken advantage of by this one and Heaven’s Door 10-year Redbreast Finish was simply screaming for mercy after the first punch by this monster that left it feeling a bit thin and needing to go compete in a featherweight class instead of the heavy weights were this one belongs. So sheesh, alright Lex way to blow some of my favorites away, but what on Earth is this, how big of a hole is my bank account going to suffer and can I still buy it? Drumroll please, cue smoke machines and laser show followed by pyrotechnics unveiling the slip that states…….. Kentucky Owl Bourbon Batch 10!!!!

Nose: instantly you get sweet oak, rich caramel, vanilla, buttery pie crust, blueberry pastry, cinnamon rolls, subtle red fruits, and a touch of barrel char. Palate: super oily. Front palate isn’t so much sweet as it is buttery and rich. Caramel apple pie is what comes to mind first, then maple syrup, and buttery monkey bread. Milk chocolate, creamy vanilla ice cream, and subtle fruity notes on the mid palate. The finish is toasted oak and beautiful cinnamon and it goes forever.

Nose of rich caramels and vanilla. Can quickly tell it’s complex and interesting. Sweet palate with chocolate, nuts and more caramel. Like a candy bar that gets better with each bite. Texture is amazing cool and soft. Finishes with a hint of wood and spices.

Rating: 23/23 N: Sweet caramel with some rich virgin oak. Something a bit floral with mild fruit in the orange and cherry ranges. I gradually get a rich, sweet, faintly savory, vanilla underbelly (weird side note - I made two sets of notes about this days apart and I used the term "underbelly" in both despite having no recollection of having ever used it in any tasting notes prior). There's tons of wood and I get some nice ginger and clove coming out of it. It's a nice balance of rich and complex, that I'm very much enjoying contemplating. P: OK, this is really impressive. I get some super musty wood with prickly spices in the cinnamon and pepper realms along with a bit of wood. Some sweet chocolate comes out of the musty wood. I get vanilla coming out of the chocolate and then a bit of tartness with bitterness like orange peel, but then that turns a bit into orange blossoms with just a faint hint of cherry here and there. It makes me think of Elijah Craig B520, though side by side the Elijah Craig is clearly much stronger and goes more in on the wood and spice. This seems maybe somewhere between that and Russell's Reserve 10. This is sweet and fun with some nice mustiness in a way that keeps me from putting a pin on its age. There isn't alcohol or raw distillate showing any particular youth here, which is terrific. There's this plentifully finished - or at least plentifully aged in fresh barrels - flavor that makes me think of Barrell. The complexity is just fantastic. It seems like there is a decent amount of age here, but not necessarily a ton. Whatever barrels were used were clearly high quality. The balance is just superb. This bourbon makes me stop and just appreciate it with every sip, to the extent that I forget to take notes and just savor it for minutes until I forget what notes I need to write. F: Some musty wood and chocolate remain, alongside prickling spice. A bit of (non-floral) orange comes out too and there's a decently full layer of vanilla underlying the whole thing. Faint herbal notes with dashes of mint come in at times too. The balance and complexity are great into the finish. - Conclusion - There isn't a moment of this bourbon that I don't especially enjoy. It's rich and mature with decadent complexity and balance. The barrel tastes a bit fresh, hinting that this might not be super old, but there's also some terrific mustiness. It's really a puzzle. Side by side with some of the best, this stands tall. It avoids the youthful, finished sweetness of Barrell Dovetail while having all of that range of flavors. It's not a proofy as Elijah Craig Barrel Brood B520, but it has similar chocolate and spice notes and improved complexity. There's some great funkiness that reminds me of Wild Turkey Rare Breed and some spicy burn that makes me tend that way too. Still, the complexity and balance always hold up here. This is an amazing bourbon. I started by putting it at at least a 20, then I upped that to a 21. Now, I have it at at least a 22 and - for the first time ever - I might give a bourbon a 23. On a last sip, this again performs well against Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520. In fact, shockingly, I think that I would take this one over the B520. OK, if there is a bourbon worthy of a 23, this is it. Whatever this is, it's one of only two 23s I've given. It isn't perfection, but it has achieved an unreasonably high level of excellence. Simply amazing. This is sample A in an unlabeled set of 4. There are about 15 different bourbons and ryes that this could be. Of the four samples, this is the one that I'm the least confident about the identity of. It's also the one I like the best though. I think that Four Gate Split Stave is the most likely individual based on how much fresh barrel flavor there is in here. If it isn't that, I would guess Kentucky Owl Batch 10, Bomberger's Declaration 2020, or Cream Of Kentucky 13, simply because I have no idea what to expect of any of those. The proof seems too high for Barterhouse 20 or Rhetoric 25 and the complexity seems too great for Sam Houston 14. - The Reveal - I'm not at all surprised that I got this one wrong - I really was just guessing. And in my defense, my second guess turned out to be correct. The real surprise here is how amazing Kentucky Owl turned out to be! The balance of age and complexity and harmonizing of myriad bourbon flavors is magnificent. I'd always thought of Kentucky Owl as another "me too" overpriced sourced bourbon, but this has completely changed my mind. I now desperately need to hunt down one of these bottles. Tremendous thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for giving me a pour of this treasure!

I believe this is my favorite batch from Kentucky owl to date , much better then 9 In my opinion , but is it worth the money? Well that’s certainly a debatable question I was luckily able to find this at a BevMo so it wasn’t to bad but $300 for a bottle is a good chunk of change, would I guy it again ... yes I would . If you’ve got the coin grab it but hardly feels exclusive and rare when there over 14,000 bottles out there.