Jeptha Creed Single Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Wow, this might be the most barrel-specific info I've ever seen on a label. And please don't think I'm complaining; other distilleries, take notes and give us more details on your single barrel offerings, especially if you expect us to pay a premium. I had a tiny bit at the distillery, and it was quite good, but it's just awesome to finally get single barrel products from Jeptha Creed now that they have solid flagship products. This barrel has a well-balanced mash bill, decent age, and a very high cask strength proof, plus the red and gold label is a cool, distinctive touch. The color has a significant red hue mixed with a deep mahogany, even though the bloody butcher corn's color doesn't carry over from the still. The legs are almost non-existent, with a beautiful string of pearls on the peaks. The nose is full of cocoa upfront, with a hint of red and blue berries, plus some lightly sweet, grainy cereal, like Rice Krispies. Smelling it again reveals a faint herbal note, but the proof is much more manageable than expected for such a high ABV. Initial tastes include chocolate and wafer or biscuit notes, followed soon by butterscotch. However, there's a strong ethanol burn that appears very quickly after the first few sips, which requires some time to mellow before more distinct flavors emerge. Once that happens and you can analyze the finish, the cereal note from the nose returns, but without the sweetness, contributing an almost raw grain taste to the other sweet notes from earlier. While Jeptha Creed offers several popular, standard products, the long-awaited "single barrel program" lets the distillery's core character truly shine in a more intricate way for those willing to savor it slowly. This specific barrel is flavorful but also very hot and not quite inviting for another sip until it's cooled down a bit. It certainly seems like it would benefit from a couple of ice cubes and will probably be my next sample, but it's still a worthy addition to this distillery's collection.