Not gonna lie, when I heard this was similar to Blanton's I was skeptical. Keep in mind, we're comparing a single barrel to another single barrel, lots of variation there. On the nose I get a lot of tart cream soda with some honey and a little sawdust. Gentle nose, but unique and pleasant. On the palate, it seriously tastes like some Blanton's bottles I've had. Not as bold but damn close. Vanilla, toffee, chocolate, caramel, oak, some char, spice, she's got it all and well balanced but like the nose, it's very gentle. Drinks more like a 90 proof or lower not the 100 it is. Medium-long finish. I wouldn't go as far to say this is a backup for Blanton's but a damn good dram on its own. Maybe I got a good bottle, either way, I'm impressed.