My coworker hooked me up with a sample of Pappy 20, which I’m super gracious for. I’ll never have this again, so I figure I should write my thoughts Look: Dark amber, really shoes it’s age with the color that 20 comes out as. Lacing graces our presence with alcohol legs making an appearance as well. Nose: It’s rare that I smell a whisky and think “wow this smells like wood” but Pappy 20 smells like wood. After that note, I get some fruit, really just cherry and some sugary sweet notes, ie brown sugar. Slight spices, not hot notes ala cinnamon but more muted baking spices. Edit: All if a sudden, I’m getting peach in the nose and I love that. Palate: Good God, this is way hotter and spicier than I would’ve figured. First thing: oak, pepper, followed by some more mellow sweet notes. Brown sugar and vanilla really. I can get some cherry from the nose but it’s not nearly as much. Really, the dominant things I get are spice and oak. Finish: Light sweetness, vanilla is absolutely what I get, but there’s plenty of that bitter oak in the finish too. Long lingering, Pappy 20 really has a long finish. Overall: okay, as much as you here about Pappy, I’m a bit underwhelmed. After trying enough whisky in my life, I’m realizing I don’t maybe like overly aged bourbon with a lot of oak. That said, still a great bourbon. The stone fruit really bumps up the flavor now that I get that, and bumps the rating up.