Peerless Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Nose: oak and ethanol. Vanilla and toffee intermingle to add some refreshing sweetness Palate: lots of oak, notes of vanilla and toffee notes persist through the oak. Not a sweet bourbon but not in a bad way Finish: more oak, peanuts, some dried cherries. Some noticeable heat that lets you know you're still sampling a barrel proof bourbon

Rating: 16/23 N: Kind of dry smoky wood with some grain. A dash of coffee and minerals too. Something a bit herbal with a dash of mint starts coming out too. The nose isn't terribly strong, but it doesn't come across as weak either. I get just a hint of some fruit in the bright cherry to apricot range. Mostly, it's that grainy wood, which leads me to think that this was rapidly aged (though I'm biased here since I already know it's young), but it isn't over-oaked and it's just musty enough to make me think that it might have a full 10 years of age (or at least some 10 year old spirit) if I didn't know better. It's a bit like Russell's Reserve 10 and is comparable in fullness. P: This sure makes a statement! It's woody with sawdust and must. There's a tiny tad of chocolate, but also some grain and a bit of tartness. It's fairly smoky, but far from overwhleming. The balance, strength, and complexity here are all quite good. This has less teabag flavor and sweetness, but more smoke and starkly-defined flavors than Kings County Bourbon does. This isn't weak, but it isn't as full as the Kings County. There's a bit more alcohol coming out here too, though it isn't excessive, and I'm also getting a bit of funk that reminds me a little of Wild Turkey. This is less sweet and rich than Wild Turkey 101 is, but I feel like the fullness is pretty similar, which is quite respectable. There's this kind of dryness and bit of smoke that reminds me more of Russell's Reserve 10. This, however, is smokier, richer, and bolder in a way that reminds me a bit of my bottle of Garrison Brothers Single Barrel (cask strength). The Garrison Brothers is definitely sweeter and richer though with more chocolate and sweet whole wheat bread. This is very smoky. It's a different take on bourbon and I like it. There's some serious clove (though not teabag) and licorice going on here too. It's actually fairly spicy. F: A bit of dried bing cherry comes out on the finish, strangely enough. It's still rich, but less forceful, and it gets sweeter. - Conclusion - I fully expected this to be young and fairly unappealing. Not so. I'd wondered what all of the fuss about Peerless was and I guess now I know. I can't say that I like this as well as Wild Turkey Rare Breed or Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, but it's better than Kings County and competes pretty well with Russell's Reserve 10. I'm not sure what to think about this versus Garrison Brothers. I guess it's fairly comparable in quality. I was in the 15 to 18 range on this, but now I'm in the 16 to 17 and leaning toward 16. This is a nice bourbon with a very unique character. I think I'm going to end up on a 16 here, but I can imagine going up to a 17 in the future. Thank you @pkingmartin for the sample.

Nose - peanut toffee, nutella, vanilla, milk chocolate, cherry, apple, orange blossom, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet oak, marshmallow, graham cracker, leather, mint, black pepper, dry floral notes, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, vanilla, cherry, peanut butter, graham cracker, toasted marshmallow, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, leather, orange zest, black pepper, sour apple, rich oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, baking spice, and sour apple flavors. Holy peanuts! Is this a Beam product? If I didn’t know better, I might have mistaken this for some double oaked JB release. The nose is all sorts of nuts. Peanut butter, nutella, toffee, peanut brittle. Some more traditional bourbon aromas appear as well. Leather, baking spices, and sweet fruit, with a decent oak backbone. The palate delivers much of the same, but a bit of unwelcome sourness encroaches, a mix between orange peel and sour apple. The finish is above average, with a mouthfeel falling somewhere between thick and thin. Overall, this is really good bourbon, but the flaws I mentioned above hold it back from greatness. Unfortunately, Peerless charges a premium for all their products, and $80 is steep for a four year old whiskey that’s not magical. At least with Booker’s at around the same price, you get something that’s a minimum of six years old. Many thanks to @pkingmartin for the sample. I’d like to try more Peerless offerings, but will do so via samples or restaurant pours, instead of purchasing a bottle anytime soon.

Sweet Corn, Damp Oak, Vegetal, Warmth, Cinnamon, Bark, Rye Spice, Barrel Char, Vanilla, Molasses, Long Oily Finish

Smells like marshmallows on the campfire. Tastes like sweet goodness.