Old Carter 13 Year Straight American Whiskey Batch 4 (2020 Release)

Rating: 18/23 At 69.8% ABV, this will be the highest proof spirit intended for neat drinking that I've ever consumed. I'm curious to see what effect the high proof has. N: Rum. That's my first thought. It has that sort of funky molasses sweetness to it. Maple, brown sugar, banana, vanilla. It doesn't taste thin or super sweet, but I'm getting surprisingly little wood. Maybe that will come out if I give it a couple of minutes to breathe. The air adds a little nuttiness and some background wood that's hard to describe. Or maybe it's hard to smell because the fumes from this ridiculous dram have burned my nose. The nuttiness and woodiness come together to add a sort of mature richness that is also still sweet. I start getting bits of allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The complexity is solid here, but the balance is really nice. With water, more mature woodiness comes out here, along with standard bourbony characters like vanilla and cinnamon. P: It burns, but it's surprisingly easy to sip. I'd probably have guessed over 60% ABV, but I'm not sure if I'd have said it was a hot navy strength rum or a thin overproof rum. It's a really tropical palate. It starts with bananas, then it adds molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, wood, and some mild char. It's the molasses that really gives it that rum vibe. THere's lots of burn and also some spice in the ginger range with some clove backing. I get hints of citrus (actually kind of like the slightest squeeze of lemon - or maybe lime). It doesn't have this big rich flavor, but it is fairly full and decently because of the high proof. This needs water. Adding it brings out some dry tartness that goes nicely with the wood. There are still banana and molasses flavors, along with some orange and a lime. I might even get a bit of those rum fireworks. I get more vanilla as well though. The spices are still big, with ginger leading the way, followed by clove, and then cinnamon. This is still not as rich as I'd expected and I'm confused by its profile. I like it, but I don't know what to make of it. Compared side by side with Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 and Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve, this has kind of a rummy molasses flavor to it. F: Bitterness in the wood, fireworks, and molasses range, along with tartness like lime. Not a ton happening here, but it feels a bit thin. - Conclusion - Handed this blind, I would have guessed that it was some sort of navy strength or overproof rum. I'm pretty confused by this. I was a big fan at first, but I feel like I noticed more flaws as my tasting progressed. This is still quite an enjoyable dram, but it doesn't strike me as something amazing. My inclination would be to put it in the ballpark of Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18) and Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (19). It's certainly better than Booker's Country Ham (17) and it's close to Old Carter 13 Single Barrel #98). If I had to choose initially, I'd have leaned toward a 19. Now, I'm inclined to put Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve and Old Carter 13 Single Barrel #98 just a little bit above this. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 also seems like a solid match for this, so I think I'm going to land on an 18. Thank you @pkingmartin for another rare sample!

Neat. Sample. So I got confirmation since my last taste that these are Light Whiskey blends. Makes sense. MGP Light Whiskey has its own distinct profile. Off memory, this doesn’t smell much different than the other batch. Just that great butterscotch, honey and graham cracker. Overall, I do think this batch is darker leaning. Again, the proof on these being close 140 and it just not hot. Deceiving. Very silky mouthfeel. All brown sugar up front. Transitions to more of a rich dark caramel than a butterscotch and the honey is really strong. Getting some buttered corn of the finish. Getting this nice sour dough pretzel. It’s so strange. I love sipping this and I will grade the pour well because it is very enjoyable. But these are so expensive and I can’t see myself actually buying one to drink all the time. I have a J Mattingly Light Whiskey single barrel that was a about $60 to $80 cheaper than these and I don’t see the value for the Old Carter label. Light Whiskey is such a strange category for me. Love while I drink it, but never crave it.

Love this, the palate is amazingly complex and with every sip you discover something new. I thought that the Old Carter American Batch 3 was great, this is even better!

Did a tasting with many Old Carters and by far this one came out on top. Absolutely incredible whiskey that I can honestly say is better than Pappy 20 year old.

I was lucky enough to get to try a Very Old Carter 27 in Kentucky and more luck in getting a bottle of this. It’s not quite the 27, but it has many of the same notes. It comes racing out of the glass like a champion racehorse at nearly 140 proof, be warned friends of mine who aren’t use to high proof whiskey had their tongues trampled by this beast. The nose on it warns you of its proof but provides smells of apricot jam, toast, caramel and the strangest flavor of smartees chalk candy. Once you take a sip it’s everything on the nose and much more. I couldn’t keep up with it besides just loving the ride. Then it finishes with a ride into the sunset with a velvety long malty fruit that lingers for minutes and draws you back in craving another ride on the beast that is just untamable but so fun.