I once bought this as a gift for a friend who almost exclusively drinks the Old No. 7. When he gave me some, I remember thinking it was pretty good, much to my surprise. I'm not a fan of the Old No. 7, but based on my past experience I do have some expectations for this one. Nose: Musty and oaky. Heavy leather, tobacco, butterscotch, black tea, and cocoa. Some standard bourbon notes lie caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, baking spices. Orange citrus. Sawdust. Toffee. A hint of classic JD banana floats somewhere in the background. A little cherry somewhere in there. Clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and cinnamon. Good start. I'm guessing this is a high-corn mash based on the lack of rye characteristics; interestingly though, it's not all that sweet. Palate: Chewy caramel and vanilla wafer sweetness. Instead of the past-ripe overly sweet banana I get with the old No. 7, this one presents more like a banana bread. Maple syrup. Great note. Orange citrus. Flinstones vitamins. Pipe smoke. Toasted almond. Cherry, honey, brown sugar, walnut, leather, and cocoa round off the palate. Good stuff. Finish: Long, and it comes in two waves. The first is all banana, vanilla, and a creamy sweetness. Brown sugar, vanilla, caramel, and toffee. After this subsides, there's a kick of cinnamon, black pepper, and oak to remind that at 47%, this is not your run of the mill Old No. 7. Some red hot tamale All things considered, I think a 3.75 is fair. Maybe a bit generous. I'd like to point out this is a prime example of why the glencairn is the best way to drink whiskey. Maybe it was just an off day, but I tried this two nights ago in a rocks glass. The nose was a mess, and everything else was mediocre at best. Yet, tonight, in a glencairn, everything just seemed to come together. At $48, I think this is a respectable effort. I'll give credit where its due, and JD is on the mark with this one. Considering that I associate these guys with youthful misadventures followed by horrendous morning hangovers, I'm impressed with the quality of this one. It's good to see that the big guys are capable of putting out a solid product. Let it be known that this is far superior to Old No. 7 and Gentleman Jack. Well done JD. Re-visited this just a hair under five years later. New bottle. From Barrel House 2-11. Barrel No. 22-02662. Bottled 3.7.22. I’ve combined my notes for both (which only requires small adjustments) and have boosted the score from 3.75/4. It justifies, especially considering VFM in today’s whiskey market.