Rating: 14/23 Today was rough. I found out that the rafters in my attic are undersized and can't support the weight of any reasonable roof. Now I need to hire a civil engineer. The rest of this project will be far more expensive than this bottle of whiskey, so I feel like I can open it and add it to the project budget without stressing about the cost. N: A bit bitter, with some rich cherries coming through. A bit of what I assume is malt that is somehow dry and also kind of bordering on vegetal. Kind of grassy as well, with a touch of mint. Maybe that's the bitterness. Maybe a touch of creosote too. This isn't a very exciting nose, but nothing seems particularly bad. P: Lots of sweet fruit! I was expecting more spice and leather. This is a bit youthful and exuberant, perhaps, but it's tasty and fun. It's funny that it has this particular character because it reminds me of Aberlour, which was one of a couple of other drinks I considered opening to console myself. The high malt mashbill is showing here, alogisde the cherry sweetness of the cognac. There are definitely spices and there's a hint of creosote, but this is much more in the fun direction. Hints of buckwheat. There's a significant amount of rye, which adds some mint in too. It's probably also largely responsible for those spices and creosote. F: Lingering cherries, mint, and spices. It's sweet, but not cloying. The balance isn't quite right. Or perhaps it isn't quite in the normal bourbon range. It's definitely malty. I'm liking it, but it's a bit challenging. - Conclusion - This is a bit weird, but it's good. There's a mix of genres happening here that I appreciate and the overall product is enjoyable to drink. I was previously skeptical of Old Elk, but I like the direction they went with this. It's at least a 14 and it could be as high as an 18. Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (19/23) is more complex and shows less ethanol. An easy win for the Smoke Wagon. Bull Run American Whiskey 13 Pinot Noir Finish (14/23) has a rich candied full sweetness that this doesn't have. This is spicier with more herbal notes and ethanol. I'm definitely finding this to be closer to the Bull Run than to the Smoke Wagon. Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23) is more interesting and nuanced than this is, but it does have a bit of an odd bitter flavor that makes it more challenging. It is increasingly hitting me that this isn't as full as I initially thought it was. I'm finding this to be about on par with the Bull Run. I think that the Russell's Reserve is better, though not by a ton. The Bull Run might be a little better than this or a little worse. It's putting me kind of in the 13 to 15 range for this and I'm going with a 14.