Rating: 19/23 It's been a while since I tried this. Initially, it seemed a bit strong, but its richness grew on me over time. I'm surprised that I still have 2/3 of a bottle of this. Let's see how time (and air) have changed my opinion. N: Something kind of bold here. Wood with peanut and a bit of a slightly tart funk. A hint of some sort of tart floral fruit in the citrus or apricot range. I like the balance, but the complexity isn't impressive. I'd take the Booker's Country Ham nose over this. P: Ohh, that palate though! This is much fuller and richer than Booker's Country Ham. It's a bit harsher too, unfortunately, but it's spicier with a richer apricot (or maybe orange peel) fruitiness and more wood bordering on 80% dark chocolate and coffee and points. The peanut is there for sure, but the other flavors are louder. F: The wood with its coffee flavor is more prominent. I do get a bit of tartness that suggests floral fruit. I'm having trouble picking out more than a dash of peanut here, but what I get does enhance the finish. - Conclusion - So this isn't the most complex dram, but it's bold and hedonistic. I wouldn't call it excellent, but I would happily drink it. It is another case of Booker's being a good whiskey at a price that's hard to justify, but this is probably my favorite so far. It's bolder than Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8, but it's less complex. I feel like the two are in the same ballpark though. This is a very good bourbon. This also strikes me as better than Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (batch 22). The Belle Meade somehow tastes younger with more of an off flavor to its caramel. This has that little bit of Beam emptiness to it and its flavors don't stand out quite as much, but it comes across as more mature and stately. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520 is substantially better than this though. The Elijah Craig maintains the same maturity and statliness while amping up the complexity dramatically. I don't see how this could be less than an 18. I can even see it going up to a 20. A 21 seems a bit unlikely and a 22 is a no-go. I'm looking in the 19 to 20 range now. Booker's really came through with this one! I almost just bumped it to a 20, but I think I'm going to stick with a 19. It's quite a good bourbon at either rating though!