Old Carter Straight Bourbon Batch 5 (2020 Release)

Smooth with bit of heat

Hands down probably the top 10 bourbons I’ve ever tried so far

Neat. Sample. Some amazing people sent be a bucket load of Old Carter samples. This will be my first Old Carter experience. Okay, the nose is nothing that I expected. It’s super dark, but not from oak. Dark chocolate and dark maple syrup, molasses. Pralines and a hint of walnuts. Dark, dried cherries. Caramel sea salt taffy. Tobacco for days. I expected oak, but it’s not really here. I was thinking this was a blend of older whiskeys but it comes across more in a 7 to 9 year range. Super oily and coating. Super dark again. Brown sugar and molasses on the tongue. Oh that is really good... wonderful caramel and vanilla mid palate, the vanilla really escalates on the finish. Nice chocolate and nougat mid palate, then the chocolate carries to the finish. Dark cherries on the finish. There is a nice oak on the finish too. It’s the finish on this one, it’s great. The mid palate is just sweet desert but the finish escalates and morphs and keeps going. And going. One of the best finishes on memory. Great first samples of an Old Carter.

Nose is floral, rich fruit highlighted by notes of vanilla. Almost like a cobbler or creme brûlée. Palate is rich and oily, with the perfect amount of up front pepper spice that fades quickly. The finish is long lasting with a raspberry, oak, chocolate medley. So balanced and rich.