Neat. Color notably darker than basic Blanton’s. Nose is Blanton’s turned way up as expected. Caramel, lots of baking space, honey, powdered sugar, deep dark cherry. Cherry pastry even. Really thick texture. All sugar up front. Blast of chocolate (I was not expecting) on the first sip, chased by tons of vanilla and a hint of spice. Legs are mostly vanilla on first sip. Sugar upfront still in the second hit but got some delightful cherry too. Chocolate, vanilla, pastry swirl on the taste still. Okay, this is a really good Barrel. The nose was just Blanton’s turned up but the taste is something totally different and special. Went back to basic Blanton’s immediately after. It’s thin and almost off putting in the head to head comparison. Phew, no regrets getting this SFTB!