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!