Down Home Kentucky Straight Bourbon 12 Year Batch 1

My apologies for the initial photo quality. I initially disliked this bottling, but at a recent tasting, it was highly favored, even over the CYPB Weller in a raffle. Rumor has it the 12-year is single barrel and there's a 5.5-year bottling from approximately eight barrels. Nose: Peanuts, light milk chocolate, some dusty corn, and significant vanilla and funk. Taste: This requires at least thirty minutes to open up in the glass, which is unusual for a 12-year-old bourbon. There's speculation about it being a Brown-Forman product, and I do detect the chocolate notes. It also presents dusty oak, corn, peanuts, and vanilla. However, this specific bottle doesn't match the quality experienced at the tasting. The oak and peanut notes are overpowering for me, preventing a higher score. It seems more suited for blending to elevate flatter whiskies rather than as a standalone single barrel. Despite this, it has intense flavor, high proof, and quality components. I struggled to score it lower than a 3, acknowledging the proof and intense flavors, but it demands a specific palate preference. At the tasting, it was the best among several mediocre bourbons, despite its rarity. Initial assessment was 2.5 stars, recognizing the proof and intensity, but it requires a strong appreciation for its profile. Further tastings suggest a score in the 4.0 range, indicating I underestimated it as a neck pour.