How have I not reviewed this? I’m on my third bottle. Crazy. I guess I’ll get to it, then! (The bottle I’m currently reviewing is an Uncle Jack’s Barrel Finish Select, so it’ll have some slightly different notes than other bottles.) Appearance: maple syrup, long legs Nose: one time, while studying “Little House in the Big Woods”, we made some of that maple sugar syrup candy they make in the book. That’s what it smells like. Like cooked and hardened maple syrup, with some vanilla and tobacco. First sip neat: Raisins and coffee. It’s dark and deep and rich. Definitely some oak notes that cut the sweetness- and it’s not super sweet to begin with. Normally I would protest the lack of sweetness, but the depth in this makes up for it. It’s so rich. With water: not much change, except it maybe pulls out a tad of the sweetness (or maybe it cuts the bitterness, making it appear more sweet). Finish: long and bitter (but not unpleasantly so). There’s a hint of vanilla that reminds me of tasting vanilla extract straight from the bottle. Some black tea and a little spice. An after-dinner bourbon. A dessert bourbon, not because it’s sweet, but because it would balance the sweetness of the dessert. Maybe it’s trite, but I never dislike Woodford. It’s always good, always dependable, and it’s not straightforward. The Double Oaked is certainly more nuanced than their other less expensive expressions.