The nose is rich and full with a nice round and balanced scent. It smells like wood, but with some nice red fruit that goes in and out. There something a bit like wet wood on the nose, but if Joseph Magnus is good with wet wood why can't this be? A hint of tangerine comes through on the nose too. The palate is remarkably smooth for the proof with bitterness and some peppermint there balancing the bits of spices, but also mixing nicely with some mild, subtle herbal flavors and some light citrus. It doesn't come with that red fruit flavor. While it tastes more like E.H. Taylor Four Grain than Elmer T. Lee, it has that same Elmer execution that makes it delightful to drink. It's on the strong and hedonistic side being cask strength and the wood and smoke are a bit strong, but it all balances really nicely. Like, exceptionally so. This is a heck of a lot better than Stagg Jr. With some water, the citrus blends into the wood, revealing more cloves and tannins along with a tad of licorice. It's never as complex as Elmer T. Lee, but it is richer and tastes older. This is a fantastic drink that I would have on any occasion. If only I could afford it. The almond nuttiness and vanilla really help to balance it out in a delightful way. There's so much vanilla and cinnamon and clove flavor that make it taste delightful, yet it isn't harsh. The wood has a delightful rich toffee flavor. If Elmer T. Lee is grown up Evan Williams Black, this is grown up Jim Beam Black and improved Booker's Shiny Barrel. This has a bit more complexity than Booker's while maintaining the richness and presenting the wood in a favorable light. There's sooo much vanilla and it's delightful. There are no bad notes. It's a bit tannic and that could be a problem for some, but the tannins give the wood some additional life. There's ultimately no fruit or floral character and that isn't a problem. This is a bourbon with a woody purity that is delightfully easy to drink. Hedonistic and moderately complex with no bad notes. The cask strength helps it fill out its complexity. Occasional suggestions of fresh cherry jump out, but they are ultimately transient effects of the high proof (though they do appear when some amount of water is added). The flavor is so full and rich with plenty of vanilla sweetness. This is an excellent drink that unfortunately costs a hell of a lot. With the almond, I can see how Distiller got nutmeg. The tannic oak is there for sure. There's some cedar in the wood, but it's far from overwhelming. The baking spices are there for sure, though candied ginger is much harder to suss out. Black pepper is there and some mint can be detected, but spearmint seems like a mis-tasting that combines the other flavors in an unflattering way. Distiller largely hits the mark, but misses a lot of what makes this so terrific. It's hard to understate how excellent this bourbon is. If it had the complexity of Elmer T. Lee, if give it a perfect score. This is truly an amazing drink. (And maybe it deserves that 23}. It's unfortunate that the price is so high.