- $45
- 100 Proof
- 4 Years
- Barrel #7147
- Kentucky
With so many different store picks available these days, particularly at stores like Binny's where they are getting 6-10 barrels at a time for some products, I find myself passing on store picks far more than I used to. In fact, under normal circumstances, there's a good chance I would have passed on this particular bottle. That's not due to the fact that it doesn't interest me, just more to the fact that there are so many other bottles out there that interest me more.
However, one of the guys that went on the trip to pick this barrel, among others, suggested that this was one of the better barrels he tasted during the trip, and that if I could find one I should definitely grab it. And so, taking his sage-like advice, when I did come across one, I made sure to bring it home with me.
On the nose I got a lemon grass note right away, which was unexpected. That paired with a bit of an orange peel note as well, providing some vibrancy as well as a touch of bitterness. Those bright notes seemed to be immediately followed by a rich, sweet caramel, as well as a sweet pastry note. The smell on this was great, even if a bit different.
The flavor profile on this one was interesting in that it seemed to completely change part way through. At first I wasn't the biggest fan. It came across as very herbal forward, almost grassy in flavor (but not the bright lemongrass note I got on the nose). There was also a musty, dusty quality to it. Behind all that was a sort of peanut note as well, and the combination of all of these notes just had a sort of herbal, stale peanut thing going.
However, at some point part way through the bottle the profile seemed to change, and significantly so. That herbal note seemed to almost go away entirely, and even that dusty note became more subdued. Instead, I got soft and sweet notes, with vanilla and maple, and even sweet pastry notes. It reminded me of the maple glaze you would get on a donut.
On the finish, that maple sweetness really seemed to stick around. However, on earlier pours it seemed to compete with that pervasive herbal note. Luckily, that herbal note disappeared on the finish on later pours as well. There was also a light medicinal cherry note on the finish that seemed to stick in the back of my throat. It was interesting, but I'm not sure I was fond of it.
This Jekyl and Hyde bottle was certainly better in later pours than earlier pours. At first I wasn't so sure I liked it, but at the end I found myself reaching for it over and over until it was gone. It was really kind of a weird bottle in that way.
Grade: B
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