Second chapter in MM wood finishing experiment. Code BR22-A, Volume 1 of 5, 10 virgin toasted French oak staves, bottled April 2024, 55.85 ABV. Billed taste notes: caramel, chocolate, maple. I'm tasting this neat. Lighter coating legs and rosy bronze color in the glass. Nose is soft grain, vanilla oak, apple, and cocoa powder. Sweet and floral, with a hint of spice in the back--very nice. In the mouth, oak tannins and toasted baking spices blow up. Pepper, clove and cinnamon, vanilla, dry cocoa, charred oak and sweet grass, and flame-caramelized sugar. Tingling mouthfeel, not oily but also not thin--it hangs around. Finish is loooong and tingling: spicy, dusty dry, sour apple, dark chocolate bittersweet. Ice brings out the chocolate and caramel notes, and tames the tannins. Overall, a good drink either way. This second round of MM experimenting with French oak stave finishes is an oak spice bomb. Some will say too much, but I like the difference from the softer wheated MM profile. I get the distiller's notes of chocolate, but not so much maple. Going to keep thinking about this as I drink the bottle.