I’m not a huge fan of Bulleit bourbon. To me it’s always been a less-exciting-tasting version of something like Four Roses or Woodford Reserve. This however should be interesting. It’s a store pick that I’ve been told is likely 12-year-old Four Roses stock. Store Pick: Ernie’s (Lexington, KY USA) Age: 12 years Proof: 104 Barrel: 1-E2-0838 Mashbill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and only 4% malted barley Nickname: Law and Order: Mask Enforcement Unit Nose: think Bulleit but less spicy, less cinnamon. That spearmint spice I often get on Bulleit is in the background here. Some hints of vanilla, leather and molasses. Taste: well-matured, caramel, cream and more oak than is typically found from Bulleit, just a little rye spice which seems to have really mellowed with the extra years of age. Floral notes are definitely there and overall it’s a sweeter palate than regular Bulleit. Finish: short to medium, very little bite at all. Interesting expression. Noses like Bulleit but more candy dessert flavors and not as many floral notes on the taste. I’ll have to come back to this bottle after a few weeks and maybe compare it to an older bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel or even Bulleit 10. EDIT: after a week of the bottle open I tasted this again. Nothing different. For a $70 store pick it’s quite subpar. I have easily had three or four bottles of different Elijah Craig barrel picks for $30 that were better than this. It’s not a bad bourbon and despite the lack of 10+ year barrels in stocks this is not a good value at that price point.