Rating: 21/23 It's been months since I opened this, but I'm finally getting around to taking notes. I was pretty underwhelmed by this when I first opened it (perhaps like I was with Wild Turkey Rare Breed). It had a strong flavor, but no depth. I left it alone and came back a few months later though and what a difference that made! Now, it's delicious and complex. I worry that I might have just gotten an especially good barrel because I have never liked any of the other Jack Daniel's offerings all that much, but this particular bottle stands out to me as one of the best bourbons I've ever tasted. Is it as good as George T. Stagg or William Larue Weller? No. Is it surprisingly close for only $55? Yes. It is a more traditional bourbon than Joseph Magnus, Murray Hill Club, or Corsair Grainiac, which are also exceptional bourbons, but definitely have quirks. It's much richer and more powerful than Wild Turkey Jewbilee, so the two occupy opposite ends of the more traditional spectrum, despite being of similar quality. I'm frankly shocked by how much I like this considering how much banana flavor is in it and my prior lack of enthusiasm for Jack Daniel's. N: The nose is disappointingly and surprisingly faint. After a few minutes though, I get banana that isn't overly sweet with a mature wood (light creosote) melded nicely with subtle baking spices and a rounded vanilla. There's a surprising bit of tartness as well off and on - possibly sort of a fermented green banana smell? P: It's a bit harsh, but mostly that's just the alcohol burn from the huge proof. It's rich and viscous with this banana sweetness that blends with the caramel/toffee and vanilla and has a greenness to it that keeps it under control. There are some nice baking spices in here that bring in a woodiness that tastes mature without being aggressive and has some bits of herbal creosote flavor as it continues, getting into leather territory a little bit even. It's a delightfully hedonistic palate that Gradually grows more complex as I sit with it. It's not amazingly complex, but it has a solid amount of complexity and a delightful amount of hedonism. I usually hate banana in my bourbon, but this is fantastic. F: The green banana, toffee and vanilla linger most of all as the woodier elements quickly vanish. The alcohol lingers a bit, but if you've made it through that powerful f=palate, this is nothing. The spices are faintly still present, with cinnamon being more prevalent than before. A very good finish with a lighter, sweeter character that serves as a bit of a reprieve from the powerful palate. A faint hint of banana laffy taffy brings in a hint of mineral, but it works because it is such a minor note. It's been an intense side-by-side, but my Russell's Reserve Single Barrel that has had a year and a half of substantial oxygen is pretty much on par with this. I've been on the fence between 21 and 22 for this after eliminating 20 a while back and while I think that this is a little bit better than the Russell's (which I deemed a 21), I don't think that it quite rises to the level of 22. Still, it's a darned good deal, if this bottle is representative, particularly considering the drinkability out of the bottle combined with the incinerating proof. It's worth considering in terms of VFM that the Russell's earned a 21 after 18 months of heavy oxidation, whereas this earned it after fewer than 6 of mild oxidation. Since the two are pretty much the same price, I will absolutely reach for this over Russell's the next time that I see them in a store. Hopefully, I didn't just get an exceptional barrel for this bottle. The complexity and balance really sell me on a profile that I didn't think I'd enjoy. Those who are put off by banana might want to avoid this, but I consider myself one of the biggest banana haters (in bourbon and eggnog) out there and I love it. It's incredibly difficult to rate something that's this good because there are few things I can compare it with. I spent ages torn between 21 and 22 for this. I think I'm going in the direction of a 21, but I would not be at all shocked if I raised it to 22 on a subsequent tasting. This is a fantastic bourbon and it is especially amazing for the price. I'm leaning toward a 21 instead of 22 because the complexity doesn't always show through and sometimes Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (B520) and Wild Turkey Rare Breed (116.8) show more character. And this is nowhere near the level of complexity that Corsair Grainiac (a dissimilar but also phenomenal whiskey) has. Still, sitting with this for a bit, complexity starts coming out to round out its awesome richness. The complexity here largely relates to the banana, but the banana never gets out of control somehow. That green banana flavor must be doing the trick and blending into the wood nicely. I could actually spend quite a while contemplating this in a hedonistic way. That scores big points in my book. Side by side with Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8, Elijah Craig B520, and Corsair Grainiac, I have little doubt that this surpasses the first two. Although this is very different from the Grainiac, I find it much harder to choose a winner between them and I keep going back and forth. At the end of the day, neither of them can be lower than a 20 but both have problems that keep them from scoring a perfect 23. Side by side...I really can't choose, but I appreciate that the Grainiac's complexity shows through no matter the circumstance. I'm borderline between a 21 and 22 on both of these, but considering that the Grainiac is probably just a smidge better, I think that I'd better put this at a 21 for now. I definitely feel like I'm wussing out a bit here because this is definitely better than Russell's Reserve Single Barrel oxidized for a ridiculously long time, which was solidly a 21, but I have so little to compare this with that it's hard to justify a 22. For a last-minute mixup, I poured some Joseph Magnus, which I previously rated a 21. Great, I'm now comparing a fairly standard (banana-y) bourbon with a light but complex one and a finished one. So, yeah, hard to compare. I've continued agonizing over this and what I can conclude at this point is that all 3 are in the 21 to 22 range. If I could come up with a definitive ordering, I could give them different ratings, but given how different they are stylistically, that isn't going so well. Given that, I'm going to handwave and cite "statistics" to assert that they're all more likely to be 21s than 22s and ignore the human element of this comparison so that I can just be done with this. Perhaps when I open my bottle of George T. Stagg 2019 that will be a clearer 22 and then I can use that as a basis for comparison with this. 21 for now, but it could easily end up being a 22. Right now though, I think that Elijah Craig B520 is a clearer 22. I like how much richer and darker its flavor is, though the variation on flavors here with some interesting subtlety gives this some nice life, particularly with the green bananas and wood maintaining the terrific balance. The deciding factor for me here is the harshness, which - while not bad for the proof - is noticeably stronger here than in the Elijah Craig B520. They're both excellent, but I give the nod to the Elijah Craig. For the money, it's very hard to come anywhere near this quality. Truly, an outcome that I didn't see coming. Very well done, Jack Daniel's.