Nose: The nose enters with a perfect balance of crystal clear rye and oak spices followed by red cherry and dark chocolate. From the spice the nose turns bounces back and forth between confectionary and fruit sweetness. Toffee drizzled cinnamon rolls, freshly baked come to mind with a dollop of orange icing. Crushed nuts, candied apple and some pear. Christmas spices come to life with banana salt water taffy, maybe some banana bread too, more red cherries and strawberries, sweet brown cereal notes, like honeyed bran breakfast cereal. Grape juice, sugar cookie and vanilla graham cracker finish things off with a memory of cane sugar crystals and hints of peanut butter. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Palate: Gorgeous spice bomb from the start, like a nuclear explosion in silent slow motion…but from a distance. Astounding. The moment this dram hits your tongue, the black cracked pepper and rye spices erupt. Fall out clouds of firm menthol and cocoa dust starts to fill your palate halfway through – no dryness however…interesting. Quick confectionary sugars, more toasted oak from the nose and some sweet cherry shows up. You can tell this FR expression has some batches with age – sweet woody spices now, cinnamon spice and cinnamon sugar. Toffee and more pure can sugary goodness, all in check. Quite exquisite. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Finish: This is a slow fader and has a long finish, which at cask strength should be expected. Toffee from the back palate lingers with brown sugars. The rise of spice is perfectly mirrored in dissipation on the finish, a long fading out and a clear reminder of what you just experienced – like a bell curve. Black licorice, charred barrel and an older sense of rye is the best way to describe these final notes. Some menthol, light oak tannins play off this overall toasty finish. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Bourbon and House Rating: 97 _______________________________________________ www.bourbonandhouse.com