So, I’m going in blind on this one and big thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for taking the time to set this up and provide the sample. Let’s see how I do without knowing anything about this until after the taste. The nose starts with chocolate covered pecan caramel clusters then fruits of apple, fresh cut orange slices, and banana bread then spices of nutmeg, cloves, spearmint, leather and medium oak with a medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich mouthfeel starting with chocolate covered pecan caramel clusters then fruits of apples, oranges, banana pudding followed by a medium spicy chipotle pepper that slowly fades away to reveal other spices of cloves, spearmint, leather and medium tannic oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with dark chocolate covered pecan clusters, apple, orange, banana runts, spearmint, leather and medium tannic oak. So this is definitely a bourbon with some age to it and high proof, that has all the traditional assortment of bourbon flavors with a creamy and rich mouthfeel but drifts to a spicy hot pepper note mid-palate that lingers for a little while before the other spices can come through that then finishes long with sweet notes and a medium oak spice. I have no idea what this is, it reminds me a lot of some of the Old Carter Single barrels or a Barton product with those banana notes, but those could just be in my head. Either way, it’s a very well done bourbon that I enjoyed each sip of and just need to prepare myself for that medium pepper note on the mid-palate to reap the reward of that long tasty finish. Perhaps if I put a little water in it, it would have toned down that spice kick, but I’m awful at that and usually end up ruining my drink. Anyways, time to open that piece of paper and find out what this bourbon treat is: Four Gate Split Stave. Wow, I’ve been curious about this one with the zebra casks they use to age these in and really grateful that @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington was generous enough to provide this sample as these appear really difficult to find.