The nose is rich and dense starting with a mix of butterscotch caramel covered pecan sticky buns, anise and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered espresso beans and sweet pipe tobacco followed by caramelized peaches over vanilla gelato, cherry pie filling and orange flambé that transitions to mild spearmint, cloves and antique polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich syrupy mouthfeel starting with butterscotch pudding, cinnamon sugar dusted churros and spicy dark chocolate ganache then weathered catcher’s mitt before a moderate rye spice that quickly fades to freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by cherries jubilee, caramelized peaches over vanilla gelato and orange flambé that transitions to moderate baking spices, spearmint and lacquered antique mahogany furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long, starting with weathered catcher’s mitt and moderate rye spice that slowly fades to butterscotch creme brûlée, caramelized peaches, dark chocolate covered pretzels, candied ginger and antique polished mahogany. Wow, I’m really impressed with this collaboration that the Beam family certainly weren’t messing around to create a complex and stunning bourbon. It’s a rich and decadent drink that is a delight from the nose to the finish that is likely best suited for those that appreciate those old dusty oak notes with a moderate rye spice that prevents the sweetness from becoming overly cloying and the flavors linger for minutes after each sip. At a price of around $250+, it’s an expensive purchase that I personally think justifies its premium price as it is one of the best bourbons I’ve been fortunate to try.