Slight orange tint to this amber liquid. The Carter’s (Mark and Sherri) are renowned for their winemaking and palates. Their work alongside Dixon Dedman resulted in the Kentucky Owl brand (now Stoli, but still batch 10 was outstanding) and they have since ventured into sourcing and bottling single barrels, bourbon, rye and American whiskey (MGP light whiskey) blends. This is actually my first sample of an Old Carter single barrel, courtesy of @pkingmartinmartin. I found a similar bottle, and overpaid egregiously for it, so this will lessen my regretful financial hit or reinforce that I should just buy WT 101 from now on and call it a day. The nose is rich and sweet. There is a big note of almost-scorched caramel alongside earthy corn husk, medium dark cigar, anise and strong (but balanced) oak. Right, and ethanol. Silky mouthfeel and a burst of sweet fruity, candy corn and caramel notes and then another burst of spice like two fireworks in succession. The finish is excellent with caramel, banana, a bit of cinnamon roll, tobacco and maybe even dried pineapple. The spice really blossoms and has a variety of anise, dill, cardamom and clove elements that seem to land in that order. The heavy sweet notes are like book ends. Despite the silky feel on entry there is a bit of sting mid- to hind-palate to remind you of the proof. There might be a faint bitterness but it is so overpowered with delicious spices and baked goods that it is an after thought. I’ll have to go read @ContemplativeFox and @pkingmartin ‘s notes in those but I have been won over. It’s a hot dram but flavorful. It makes me imagine Eagle Rare at 125 proof. It is a bit less fruity and more spice forward than Elijah Craig of McKenna and not as nutty as Beam. I don’t know where it hails from other than Kentucky but it is quintessential. Hats off to Mark and Sherri on this barrel! I would say that 13 years on this wan was the exact right time to pull the trigger. I’m looking forward to plowing through a few more of their offerings thanks to a generous friend! Soon will have to see if the one I brought home can rival the others…