Nose - rich caramel, brown sugar, anise, clove, dill, cedar, cardamom, cherry, herbal notes, dark chocolate, raisin toast, tangerine, tobacco, leather, polished oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - tannic oak, black tea, black pepper, rich caramel, brown sugar, burnt toast, clove, spearmint, anise, cherry, bitter chocolate, herbal notes, toasted walnut, leather, tobacco, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with burnt burnt sugar, tannic oak, and bitter baking spice flavors. The fifth of nine blind tastings opens with a deep, rich nose of dark caramel, rye spice, and raisin toast aromas. Its subtle sweetness is balanced beautifully by strong herbal, oaky, leathery aromas. Unfortunately, things take a turn on the palate. Overwhelming tannic oak, burnt toast, and black tea flavors dominate the more nuanced complexity that’s probably hiding in the background. I should have learned my lesson yesterday about guessing the relative age of a whiskey, but I’m going out on a limb and declaring that this is very old bourbon. This tastes like it’s spent far too long in a barrel. With such a magnificent nose, it’s disappointing that the palate doesn’t uphold the same level of quality. Well what are we drinking tonight? Barterhouse 20 Year. I was right! This is very old whiskey. Actually I think this is the oldest bourbon I’ve ever tasted. Major kudos to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for providing this experience! It may be a long time before I taste another American whiskey this old.