On this eve of Halloween eve, I find myself on a eerie Northeast evening. Wind is eerily blowing. Storm is brewing. A damp chill in the air. Time for a warming dram. The color pours as a rich mahogany with maroon hues. Immediately, upon initial pour, an aroma of candied pecans jumps out and dominates. You can sense other notes wanting to come through but it cannot penetrate the dominance. Time will remedy that. As it settles and loosens up, those blocked aromas begin to seep through. Milk chocolate, toffee and a vanilla mix provide a robust sweetness. But wait, there’s more!: sawdust, dried hay, leather, burnt marshmallows, cinnamon, maple syrup. A plethora or aromas. I think I could smell the kitchen sink. The initial sip, unlike the sweet nose, is more earthy. Medium-dense, soft and velvety texture. Successive sips are hot but without burn, which is confounding as the pour is at 68% Abv. A leather base where those pecans continue from the nose. Cinnamon, allspice and root beer is all I can detect as the alcohol bite makes it tough to get more. Time for some water. Tree bark, vanilla, peanut brittle, cigar tobacco leaf bring a wonderful earthiness tempered with a touch with of sweetness. Leather, wood and char stay with the palate for quite some time. Candy corn eventually seeps out that hits with a touch of sweetness. Ultimately, the palate remains woody, dry and wanting another sip. I have had good fortune to taste some wonderful bourbon/whisky. Of those, a handful I can still conjure up without tasting. Midwinters Act 2, Cragellachie 51 amongst some others. This one ranks right up there. There’s a uniqueness to this one. Earthy and sweet packed with some muscle. That muscle, though, is all grace and style. Ballet vs kickboxing. This had an abundance of aromas which is rare. Most drams have pop in a few points (caramel or vanilla or leather). This had it all. All perfectly harmonized. The palate is rich, full and dense with flavor the keeps on line with the nose. A top line whiskey. Time and patience is a must to fully take it all in. If there is a downside to this, as others before have mentioned, is the price. Thanks @pkingmartin for this wonderful sample. [97/100][Tasted: 10/29/21]