Whiskey night October - enjoying an evening on the porch with a friend, a fire pit, a few blind tastings and a few new bottles. All samples from a Norlan glass. Tasting order: Murray Hill Club, Batch 7 The Gifted Horse, Orphan Barrel Larceny Barrel Proof, A120 *Lux Row Double Barrel 12y Garrison Bro. Cowboy Bourbon, 2019 This is a five course meal for the senses... I’ve lost many a starring contest with this bottle as it’s sat on my shelf waiting to be opened. The bottle itself is a work of art. The cork topper is pure copper and could take an IW Harper cork without difficulty. Color: reddish-amber, slow legs Nose: this freshly opened bottle gave off cinnamon, dark cherries and oak that opened up to become richly sweet with pungent honey aromas and darker molasses aromas and with more time a bit of funky tobacco Body: heavy, viscous, even building warmth and then drying in a way that calls for another sip Palate: again, this is a 5 course meal that starts with cherries and dark fruits and clove, then rich vanilla cinnamon roll and tobacco, then barrel char and pralines and then to smoke, dark chocolate, tums mints and ultimately back to molasses and cherries Finish: the plate says it all - this just evolves and balances itself the whole while over a period of several minutes before becoming quiet. At first I couldn’t see the GTS comparison but by the third or fourth sip the absolute richness and cornucopia of flavor, albeit at lower proof, is all there. This bourbon is a black hole - it has far more mass than it should and the closer you get it just pulls you in...