NULU Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

Drank it neat after a neck pour. This bottle was selected by Party Source. It's 5 years old with a toasted barrel finish. I really don't need more 5-year MGP. Aside from OKI and Old Scout, 5-year MGP from 2020 is just mediocre. It feels too young and unprepared. However, this one is MGP with a toasted barrel finish, and I'm weak for that, so here we go... Oh yes, pleasant toasted marshmallow. Amazing memory recall. As a child, my grandma purchased these Pinwheel cookies and would dunk them in her coffee. They featured a marshmallow wheel, a chocolate cookie base, and were coated in a chocolate shell. This smells just like those cookies. The marshmallow is present, the dark chocolate cookie is there, and the sweeter, lighter milk chocolate coating encloses it. It still has a youthful MGP character, but the finishing significantly masks it. A little butterscotch, but it doesn't have the usual MGP profile. Pleasant thick, syrupy texture on the palate. Very dark flavor on the tongue, like dark chocolate. A touch of cinnamon. Endless toasted marshmallow and even toasted coconut. It evolves into nice caramel and then the chocolate cookie. The finish returns to the toasted marshmallow and lingers for a considerable time. This is delicious. More butterscotch and leather emerge on later sips. It's more recognizable as MGP in flavor, with just a very faint hint of youth, but the toasted marshmallow and rich chocolate from the finishing are novel for MGP. Excellent execution, worth the $65. Superior to Down Home Toasted Batch 1. This finishing not only improves the drinkability of young MGP by smoothing out the harshness, but the toasted marshmallow and chocolate also introduce something fresh to the MGP profile. Exactly what I was hoping for. I truly wish someone would toast a 7-year MGP. I'd spend $80 for those two additional years!

I was quite thrilled when I learned I'd be receiving a bottle from a new Kentucky distillery I hadn't encountered and couldn't access outside of Kentucky. The bottle just arrived, and upon closer inspection, it's a 6-year, 2-month-old single barrel # A83 from MGP, bottled at 119.4 proof. It's time to open it and see if the excitement was warranted. On the nose, it doesn't seem hot at all, starting very lightly with notes of poached pears, peaches, apricots, and caramelized banana, leading to fresh bandages, then roasted chestnuts, light oak, leather, and barrel spices, with a mild nail polish ethanol burn. The taste has a very light mouthfeel with notes similar to the nose: poached pears, peaches, apricots, and caramelized banana, followed by fresh bandages, then light oak spices and a medium nail polish ethanol burn flavor that finishes short with the same notes as the taste. So, this is a letdown. I poured it alongside my George Remus single barrel, which cost $40 compared to this bottle's $80, and it completely overshadowed this one. Hopefully, this distillery will improve with their own distillate in the future, but I'd skip this overpriced MGP barrel selection.

Nose - pecan, apple, banana bread, cherry, vanilla, caramel, rubber, marshmallow, orange zest, leather, acetone, dense oak, black pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, cocoa, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - sour oak, brown sugar, rubber, apple, toffee, vanilla, clove, leather, lemon pith, allspice, chili pepper, cocoa, cinnamon, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium short with brown sugar, sour oak, and baking spice flavors. Wow, what an anticlimax! The nose is rather pleasant, greeting you with banana bread, juicy fruit, and a rich nuttiness. There’s a rubbery acetone note in the background, but it’s not overwhelming. I was really expecting to like this one. And then I took a sip. That rubber note starts to play a larger, more distracting role. There are still some good flavors that come through, but it’s just so hot and so sour. My mouth actually puckers while drinking it. It’s a bit like sucking on a lemon peel and a chunk of stained oak at the same time. It’s just really disappointing, because this could have been so much better if the quality on the nose continued onto the palate. Thank you to a friend for the sample, and for giving me an early warning about this one.

Tasted neat after a neck pour. This bottling is from the Bourbon Junkies Baking Bread selection. It's 6 years and 2 months old. On the nose, I get cinnamon toast and sourdough toast. Perhaps the name 'Baking Bread' is influencing my perception. There's also powdered sugar, apricot preserves, vanilla extract, and a lot of rye. A faint note of fresh grass is present, but it doesn't seem like young MGP; I suspect it's from the rye. A pleasant milk chocolate undertone also keeps appearing. The mouthfeel is standard. Initially, powdered sugar and vanilla are on the tongue. Surprisingly, it packs a strong punch. The cinnamon sugar and rye spice are well-balanced and come out aggressively. Plenty of vanilla is present, along with very nice butterscotch. It's quite sweet. Baking spices and bread notes are on the finish. A hint of chocolate and mint linger. The finish lasts a long time, giving a big Kentucky hug. So much butterscotch. A slight nuttiness is also noticeable. This is an intense pour from MGP. The mid-palate escalates and delivers a punch of flavor. It's very delicious, but I can't identify any standout quality. It's simply a really solid pour that intensifies halfway through. Among the MGP bottles I have that are 4 to 6 years old, this ranks near the top.

My local shopkeeper told me about this distillery. The wax seals and old-fashioned labels look appealing on display, but the liquid within is the important part. I purchased this and the toasted Rye, which was disappointing. However, the sample my associate poured me was good, so let's give it a real evaluation. This particular expression is from an A&B barrel. The aroma is significantly better than its disappointing sibling rye. Sweet brown sugar stands out with only a faint touch of alcohol. We're starting much stronger than with the rye. The initial taste is rich with caramel and pecans. A gentle cinnamon warmth develops halfway through, transitioning into a caramel apple finish. For the alcohol percentage, this beverage is much smoother, with the cinnamon heat never overshadowing the tastes. I was genuinely surprised by how strong the caramel apple flavor is; it's truly quite pleasant. In conclusion, this is a very solid bottle. The main problem is the cost. For a 5-year spirit, you're spending more on the decorative seal than the contents. I'd be much more content with this bottle at $60 compared to $80.

Conti's Wines & Spirits Single Barrel 124.4 proof, aged 5 years 10 months. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Sweet with fruity and floral notes. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice, with some oak tannins. Finish: Long and very warm. Splash: Adding a few drops of water significantly alters it. The spicier cinnamon notes are slightly reduced, allowing the baking spice, oak, and a hint of chocolate to emerge. Overall: 9/10 - This is a potent one, and a little water helps the more delicate flavors stand out. Nicely done!