Rating: 14/23 I know absolutely nothing about Nulu, but I assume it's some new craft distillery. I'm assuming this is bourbon, but honestly it's been so long that I don't remember and my sample doesn't say. It does say that it's 5 years old though, so that's some information. N: Immediate sour mash. It has some moderately nice corn sweetness to it that makes me think of something like Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star. It's a little on the light side like light caramel or cotton candy. With the proof and toast, a bit of chocolate grows that makes me think a little of Garrison Brothers. I definitely believe there's toasted wood in here, but there isn't a lot of complexity, as often happens when toasted wood is used. At one moment, I got apricot, but I think I was hallucinating it. P: Sweet with tangerine and then some much milder corn flavor behind it. There's a bitterness like oak tannins with a bit of char. Late on the palate, some graininess comes out. I do get a touch of that chocolate, though not much. There's a definite tart, dry layer that ties into the bitter tannins and char. It isn't fruity, but it isn't quite waxy either. What is it? I almost get a little malty sweetness out of this as well. Maybe it's a bit grassy? It's fairly rich and full, but there also isn't much complexity here. F: The sweetness and fullness largely vanish, leaving some light caramel with lots of tannins and some char bitterness. A touch of grain here and there, but that's about it. - Conclusion - This has better flavor than Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star (12/23), though that isn't very high praise. This is more in the ballpark of Buffalo Trace (13/23). The flavors here are fuller and more decadent, but there are also flaws present (the excessive tannins and char) and the complexity isn't as impressive. I do like the grain coming out of this though. Between this and the Buffalo Trace, I slightly prefer this. Early Times Bottled In Bond (15/23) isn't as complex as this, but it really nails its flavor profile in a way that this doesn't. Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23) crushes this though with its much better complexity. There's more char in the Russell's, but it's better integrated, without those bitter tannins. Since Buffalo Trace was on the border between 13 and 14 and this is a little bit better, I'm going with a 14. I could even imagine coming back to this and giving it a 15. For $30 or less, this one is worth a try, especially considering its proof. Thanks for sharing this, @pkingmartin !