This is a sample that I’ve had waiting for me for over a year now. I got it at a Christmas party at my brother in laws house in Windsor in 2017. I’ve had so many samples building up it’s hard to keep track of them all. Any who, this is a limited run of about 1,200 bottles from a local craft distillery in Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue!), that is about an hour from my house. Bottled at very unique 51.25% ABV and is a natural color of amber honey and I suspect it is non chill filtered. When it was available it went for about $58, but I’m sure it’s all long gone considering the low bottle count. The mash bill is 71% corn, 25% rye and 4% malted barley. It’s aged in new American oak barrels and then finished in French oak. The nose is lightly sweet and very herbal. Rye spice, mint and strong oak. Grassy with light dill and a slight mineral note. Orange rinds, black cherries, apples and pears. Peanuts/peanut butter, almond paste, creamy vanilla, cocoa powder and buttercream. Some baking spices as well, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. The palate is a bit on the simplistic side, but I attribute that to it’s youth. Minty rye and some corn sweetness. Peanuts, oak and chili spice. Apple skins, a slight bitterness and more peanuts, orange oil. Cloves and nutmeg. Almost no burn considering the high ABV. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel that is creamy, mouthwatering then dry. The finish is medium short with rye, mint, oak and orange rind. Not bad for a limited run, high rye bourbon from a local craft distillery. I just checked their website and this (along with the straight rye that came out at the same time) is not even mentioned, it was that limited of a run I guess. I was both surprised and not surprised here. Surprised by the sweetness of the nose and the smoothness considering the high ABV, but I was also expecting something unchallenging and simplistic, which this basically was. I could see this working quite well on a classic cocktail or with a big ice cube. Wish I had grabbed another sample when I had the chance seeing as how I might never have another chance to try it. Cheers