61.05% alc./vol. 122.1 proof Barrel name: Squire Select '24 Mash bill: 70% bloody butcher corn, 15% malted rye, 10% malted wheat, 5% malted barley Barrel age: 5 years, 11 months Grain type/source: 4 grain bourbon Liquid flavor profile: Fields of Bluegrass Barrel number: 18-0680 Barrel type: 53 gal/toasted char 3 Barrel entry/exit proof: 119.52/122.1 Barrel rickhouse: Warehouse B Selected by: Jeptha Creed Ho-ly lord, I think this wins the award for the most barrel-specific information ever put on a label. Please, though, don't take my pointing this out as a complaint; other distilleries, ABSOLUTELY take notes and give us more information on your single barrel products, especially if you want us to buy them at the premiums you charge. I tried a very small amount of this at the distillery, and it indeed tasted pretty good, but it's just nice to finally see Jeptha Creed give us single barrel products after establishing a nice baseline of flagship products. This particular barrel has a really balanced mash bill, a pretty decent age, and a really powerful cask strength proof, and the red/gold label combo is also a really nice different touch. The color has a fairly noticeable tinge of red combining alongside a deep mahogany, even though none of the bloody butcher corn color comes through off the still. The legs are almost fully absent, with a beautiful string of pearls on the peaks. Lots of cocoa is up front on the nose, along with a touch of red and blue berries, as well as some lightly sweetened grain-y cereal, like Rice Krispies. Repeated smells bring out a tiny note of green/herbaceousness, but the proof is far more approachable than expected at this high ABV. Initial flavors include notes of chocolate and wafer or biscuit, with some butterscotch appearing shortly afterwards. Having said that, there is a pretty potent ethanol kick that surfaces extremely fast after those first couple sips, which takes some time to tame before returning to any more noticeable flavor. Once you achieve this and are able to dissect the finish, there is a return of the cereal note from the nose, but without the sweetness, instead contributing an almost raw grain flavor to the other sweet notes from earlier. Although Jeptha Creed has a good few products that are basic and good sellers for the everyman, the long-awaited release of the "single barrel program" allows the same base character of the distillery to really pulse and shine in a more complex manner for those that are willing to sit and play through it at a slower pace. This particular barrel has great flavor, but it's also very hot and a little difficult to reach for that return sip, at least until things have cooled off a bit. This definitely seems like it would stand up nicely to a couple ice cubes, and will likely be my next sample, but it's still a good addition to this distillery's lineup nonetheless.