Look: Dark, burnt orange, almost brown, with nice lacing on the glass. Blanton’s looks very appealing. Nose: The first thing I get is vanilla sweetness, brown sugar, followed by a sour apple note when giving a deep whiff with some caramel. Swirling opens up more vanilla, but there’s a sense of heat when sniffing as well, so I assume this will have some cinnamon or pepper to it. Taste: I’m overwhelmed at how much spicier this was than I thought it would be. Pepper and cinnamon, vanilla and sugary notes pop there head in closer to the middle of the tongue. I don’t get any of the Apple on the tongue, but plenty caramel. A drop of water opens up more oaky notes and gives a little more acrid feel to the whiskey. Finish: The caramel lingers in the finish, with mid ranged heat sticking around for a minute or so. Overall: After finally getting my hands on this, I see why Blanton’s is so popular. This is the first bourbon where it truly tasted like I was eating caramel, and a nose that is great. Until I find something I like more, this is the standard I’ll compare all bourbon to.