Starts off sweet, maybe caramel, something I can't put my finger on other than it's a flavor I associate with 'dark.' Other flavors in that category include dark chocolate, certain aspects of IPAs, etc. Weirdly, there is this grainy feeling midway that almost feels like it could be abrasive on my tongue. It's hard to describe, but it was if the alcohol burn existed in discrete grains of sand with an abrasive coating. And as it traveled across my tongue, it would not only scrape along my tongue to give that abrasive feeling, but it would also impart the physical heat from ethanol and begin over powering other flavors. My first thought is perhaps tiny particles that were in solution from either the barrels, but I don't know how plausible that is. I would imagine particulates are much larger than the water and flavor molecules. so that means they should be easily filtered out. If they exist at all. I certainly couldn't see them, but I also know that saltwater is far more abrasive than fresh water, so just because there are no visible particulates doesn't really matter. I guess it could be a difficult process to remove such particulates, but why would it not appear in other barrel-aged spirits. It has one of my favorite finishes that I've ever experienced in my first tasting. I think the contrast coming from my dislike of that grainy feeling, it's strange interaction with my taste buds, and just how refreshing the finish ended up being. I'm typically not a fan of Bourbon, so the fact this almost rated, so relatively high is a testament that Bourbon loves would likely enjoy. Has anyone experienced this graininess I mentioned above? I'd love to hear if others have experienced it or if anyone has an explanation as to its cause. I don't think I've heard of anyone else experiencing this.