NULU Toasted Barrel (Justin's House of Bourbon)

So far I'm 0 for 2 - let's see if we can make it 0 for 3…. Bourbon. This is bourbon. Golden amber in color. On the nose - loads of sweet corn, oak, and spice. There is a very nice vanilla element mingling with old oak, cardamom, pepper, and banana bread. There's also a bit of dusty cherry. The aroma is really a treat. Nothing off-putting, no obvious flaws. It leans toward the richly sweet but complex-enough profile of a 9-12 year old Kentucky bourbon. Guesses? This leans heavily toward the Beam profile. The vanilla/banana bread with pralines makes me think Knob Creek, whereas the dusty cherry note reminds me of older Baker's. The rye is certainly present. Bits of clove, cardamom, black tea, nutmeg, and tobacco. This really has a wonderful spice profile. Rich, full, spicy, sweet, and hot but not offensive. Buttery texture on the back of the palate. Quite a bit of wood but not in an astringent or tannic way. It’s close but doesn’t go into varnish territory. Not especially dusty - could be 14 years old. The finish is a bit like Thanksgiving - allspice, toasted cinnamon, baked apples, something a bit savory. Brown sugar, browned butter, tobacco. This is a random thought, but this could also be a beefed-up Blanton’s. Why? The tobacco note and slightly-sour-apple note. Also, a friend likes nice things and has good fortune - so a Blanton’s Gold wouldn’t surprise me at all. This isn’t hot enough to be SFTB, which I don’t recall being as interesting as this. Nosing the empty glass yields a very big, funky tobacco note that has me leaning more BT than Beam… let’s go BT, possibly mashbill 2 - but it would be the best mashbill 2 I’ve ever had. Oh the shame… the shame. I’ve hated on this label since it’s inception. Who needs another 5-6 year old MGP that someone messes around with a secondary finish and floods the shelves with?? Wax poetic aside, this really was quite nice. I’ll give credit to MGP (presumably their 30+ percent rye) for the vast spice profile. The toasted barrel gives that lovely vanilla, and the whole thing ties together beautifully. Also worth noting that of their many experiments, this one won favor with a certain person - so I expect it will be good (anyone that charges $500 for a flight of Pappy has a reputation to uphold after all). If that person has more of these, I’d honestly go for it, whereas I would have previously been a snob and missed out. Ideally, these would go for $50-60, but I have no idea what this one cost. Thanks to a friend for keeping me humble!!

Nose gives french toast, syrup, and cedar. Later, a dusty cocoa emerges. Palate is sweet with maple syrup, butter, and a hint of toast. Finish is long, with persistent butter, syrup, and cedar. Overall, this store pick is comparable to the best. It lacks the brown sugar burn of Stagg Jr. or ECBP, offering its own distinct character that highlights the toasted finish and proof combination.