I was hesitant to pull the trigger on this one due to some of the comments and having never had anything from Belle Meade before. But I’m glad I grabbed this. Maybe it’s because I usually drink Speyside scotches, but to me this bourbon is fantastic. I get a depth of flavor and complexity that reminds me of some of the better scotches I’ve had, that you (imo) typically don’t get from bourbon. It is incredibly smooth and while the nose has a lot of sherry character, I find the sherry subdued in the whiskey itself. It plays a nice background note to the more typical bourbon flavors and doesn’t get in the way. Sometimes I find the fruit of the sherry and the vanilla and caramel fight each other, but not here. I get far more brown sugar and molasses from the bourbon which benefits from the sherry nicely. Like a sherry finished Speyside, this bourbon isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy that flavor profile I highly recommend this. Easily one of my favorite whiskeys, and I’m sorry I didn’t buy both bottles at the state store.