To change things up, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s continue this blind challenge with the vial that has a circle on it. The nose is dense and rich starting off with fresh hot off the oven butterscotch caramel sauce that’s been poured over flapjacks that were cooked in bacon drippings then dark chocolate covered candied pecans followed by fruits of maraschino cherries, sautéed apples and candied orange peel that transitions to cloves, spearmint, nutmeg, high end leather jacket and old polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a viscous mouthfeel starting with butterscotch caramel pudding, dark chocolate covered marshmallow, candied pecans followed by fruits of cherries jubilee, apple tarte tatin and mandarin orange that gravitates towards a high and drying spice before fading to cloves, spearmint, nutmeg, high end leather jacket and old polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with chocolate covered caramel pecan clusters, marshmallow fluff, mandarin oranges, apple slices, cherry jolly rancher, ginger, cloves, spearmint, leather and old polished mahogany. This is a fantastic example of great bourbon that brings in those traditional bourbon notes dialed up to a 10 that lures you in with a thick dense nose that you can get lost in, but must proceed to that viscous butterscotch pudding mouthfeel with citrus, buttery pastry before that high spice hits causing a slight worry but thankfully fades with those spices and old notes reemerging before that long finish. In a head to head match up against a Garrison Brothers Cowboy, this really shows some of those brash youthful cracks on the Cowboy and against my personal favorite of an Old Carter American 13-year Batch 4, this slightly edges it out as well. Now I really wish I had a bottle of that Kentucky Owl bourbon batch 10 to throw at this to see if it would best it as this is easily one of my favorite bourbons. So, what is this circle whiskey that I will need to purchase soon, kill the lights, drumroll, pyrotechnics and big reveal shows……………… Lux Row Double Barrel 12 year!!!!!! Haha, well good news is there is already a bottle of this in my house and now I just need to plot out another trip to Kentucky to go pick up another one.