Copper & Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Rum Barrel

Chosen by Uncorked, "Gallenstein's Selection #2" Made with MGP mashbill: 70% corn / 21% rye / 9% malted barley From Barrel No. DC-340 Filled in July 2016; Bottled December 2022 6 years old 59.7% abv, 119.4 proof Opened 6.5 months ago Smell - Bright, sharp, cereal grain, artificial vanilla, caramel, hot cinnamon candy, and potent ethanol. Taste - Grain and fake sweetener first, Red Hots, vanilla extract, and cheap rum. The end is medium length with dry grain, tons of artificial flavors, Aristocrat rum, and strong ethanol. I had high expectations for this bottle after the Copper & Cask Bourbon Toasted Finish from the same shop truly amazed me. NOPE! This combines all the flaws of cheaper MGP bourbon and young, cheap rum. Here's my guess at what happened: Latitude Beverage Company got this awful, unsalvageable barrel of MGP bourbon and attempted to fix it with a barrel finish. They then paired it with a crappy rum barrel, making it worse. It tastes like a 3-year-old MGP bourbon or craft bourbon that was finished in bottom-shelf rum casks, mixing the dry cereal grain of MGP with the brightest, sharpest aged rum you've accidentally taken a shot of. I'm not a fan of finished bourbons in general, and this reinforces my belief that most finished MGP bourbons are mediocre products with a touch of sweetness from wine or rum to hide their mediocrity.