Comment: 22/23 So I just had a tough day at work. Actually, a tough days, because I just wrapped up a 70 hour incident, which is unfortunately far from the longest that I've ever dealt with. Still, that long trudge made me feel like I should celebrate by opening a bottle of something. I wasn't sure what, but when I saw this bottle, the name reminded me of the Pony Express and the incredible stamina of those employed by it. I don't think I've ever demonstrated stamina like that, but this is about as close as I've gotten, so this bottle is calling to me. When better to crack it open? N: Immediate polished wood. Rich fudge. Some sawdust comes out. A bit of vanilla and a little sweet corn. Possibly a hint of smoke. Occasional tart mineral notes like cherry mixed with orange juice. Oh, and some spices (cinnamon, black pepper), of course. P: Big and bold - unsurprisingly. It has a lot of spiciness and a surprising tartness with some limestone minerality that I really didn't expect. As it goes on, it gets sweeter and I get more rich fudge and vanilla mixed with bold woodiness. I occasionally get faint hints of some sort of cherry, but it's a bit off, sort of like in a barleywine, somehow. This is richer with less bitter funkiness than my bottle of Garrison Brothers Balmorhea 2021. This is also fuller. I'm getting more spices and leather here,. The spices are a bit intense here and this is hot, but it isn't at all unreasonably hot for its proof. I get an occasional hint of chocolate, which is nice. I do wish there were more of that flavor though. There is definitely some polished wood here too, but it isn't overwhelmingly bitter. F: Lingering wood with hints of polish and leather, but also hints of tootsie roll. There are spices, but it isn't super hot. This is actually a surprisingly mellow, yet rich and full, finish. - Conclusion - My expectations were tempered after my disappointment with Garrison Brothers Balmorhea (17/23). Still, this at least improves on that. This goes more spicy and leather. I also appreciate that this manages to be a bit sweeter. Putting this side by side with a nearly-neck-pour of Elijah Craig A121 (21/23), this is clearly richer and fuller. This burns a bit more, but not unreasonably so. There's a lot more wood presence here. And maybe more chocolate too? Considering how chocolatey the Elijah Craig is, that's impressive. The Elijah Craig is more complex and refined, but this just has that big bold decadence to it. The Elijah Craig does a better job of nailing its more traditional profile, but this brings in a whole new and delightful character. I actually even get a hint of tropical fruit out of this, like I do out of Willett Rye 4 (15/23). Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21/23) competes solidly with this in terms of boldness. The Jack Daniel's has an absolutely decadent green banana flavor that has layers to it. It's sweet, but restrained, with surprising depth. This is spicier with more leather and polished wood, but it doesn't have that same oily fullness that the Jack Daniel's somehow achieves. And it doesn't burn as much. I get a nice mix of tootsie rolls and actual chocolate here that is very enjoyable and fits well with that woody backing. The Jack Daniel's is certainly hotter than this is, but there is something terrific about its flavor that puts it pretty close to this. I think that this solidly beats the Balmorhea and is definitely closer to the Elijah Craig A121 and Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof. So this is at least a 19. I'm thinking that it will be a 21 or 22. I'm even considering a 23, but it doesn't really seem complex enough for that. Wild Turkey Rare Breed (18-19/23, but this is a newer bottle, so more of an 18) has some pickle to it that gets it into the heat range of this despite its lower proof, but it also has all sorts of nice funkiness alongside its cherry core. It's not as full as this and has more alcohol flavor though. I'm now thinking that this beats that Wild Turkey, so it definitely isn't less than a 19. This isn't the clearest comparison, but I think that this is to the Balmorhea as Laphroaig 10 (17/23) is to Laphroaig Quarter Cask (17/23 - wait, did I give that a 17? that ruins my entire comparison!). What I mean is that the former is more traditional and balanced, whereas the latter goes a bit all over the place. Also, I significantly prefer the former over the latter. When it comes to rating this, the lack of complexity gives me pause. This has a big, bold profile that is very nice, but lacks elegance and nuance. The Elijah Craig A121 and Wild Turkey Rare Breed both have more going on. This is richer and fuller and more decadent though. It does taste a bit less mature than the Elijah Craig though. This is no 23. This doesn't burn as much as the Jack Daniel's does, but it doesn't have as much of a nuanced palate either. I am confident that this is at least a 20 and am now ruling a 23 out. Still, I'm leaning a bit high in that range. I don't taste as much alcohol here as I do in the Elijah Craig A121, but this is definitely hotter and less balanced and complex. I know I've said that before, but it's a trade-off I'm still grappling with. I'm now thinking that the Elijah Craig is a little better, but that this is still in the 21 to 22 range. The problem is that the Elijah Craig only shows its alcohol so much when placed side by side with this. The thing is though that this is an outlier. The Elijah Craig would also show its alcohol placed side by side with a bar of chocolate, but that isn't a fair comparison. This is just so unusually matured that I don't think I can fully rely on standard side-by-siding. I am really not sure whether this is a 21 or a 22. Right now though, I'm going to land slightly on the 22. This is an awesome dram - and the only bottle from Garrison Brothers that I think might be worth the money. In a final side-by-side with the Elijah Craig, I'm thinking that this is probably more of a 21 than a 22. I don't know. This is really tough because they're both so good. I think I'll bring this back up to a 22.