128.8 Proof Nose is very “Buffalo Trace” and by that I mean vanilla+fruit+oak, but in this case we have some additional complexity in the form of caramel, creamed corn, and a weird, earthy, musty rickhouse funk; yeasty and dank, I found the unique aspect quite enjoyable. Ethanol is pretty low given the proof. Palate matches the nose very well but let me try to elaborate a little; vanilla bean, red apple, berry, caramel flan, soft oak, caraway seed, orange peel, and that funk from the nose is also present here; it’s like a mix of shoe leather, wet paper, beet, and moss. While that doesn’t sound great, I actually liked it. Flavors are definitely punchy. Finish does take a bit of a downturn with a prickly and sharp turn into Spicetown. Cinnamon, pink peppercorn, ginger, allspice, and ghost pepper. Basically just a blast of heat and slightly sour, almost reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce. Oak turns disappointingly astringent. Mouthfeel is full but also manages to be grainy at the same time? (Not even sure how that’s possible, but here we are) Overall, while I enjoyed the nose and palate, there’s a lot of heat and sharpness in the finish for something that is often billed as world class. Still a quite good whiskey but falls short of greatness and thus, falls short of my expectations as well. At $199 I paid via mail order this is certainly not a rebuy but my ranking will reflect MSRP, even though none of us will ever find it at that price.