Old Carter 13 Year Kentucky Bourbon Single Barrel #55 (2020 Release)

Rating: 16/23 Nose: Sweet and floral – so unlike barrel #81! It's like orange blossoms are floating in it. There's a mineral hint and a genuine candy sweetness. I truly didn't anticipate this. I detect some richer orange with a hint of undercooked caramel. As I investigate further, I start to notice some woodiness with a bit of savoriness and earthy spice. Jalapeños, perhaps. Palate: Spicy! There's a lot of cinnamon and pepper right at the start that really hits me hard. It reminds me of my initial impressions of Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, but side by side, the Russell's Reserve is less spicy with a richer, fuller flavor and some added sweetness. This burns more than its stated proof would suggest. The second sip reveals more of a sour mash taste with a touch of funk, but not a whole lot is happening. It's initially challenging for me to discern individual flavors, but then I begin to pick them out. I do get some floral fruitiness (cherry and orange) and a bit of vanilla, though. It's light, much like a higher-proof Russell's Reserve 10 but with fuller, more impactful flavors and less complexity. The barrel leaves a solid impression, but it's not overwhelmingly woody. Adding a significant amount of water brings out some bitterness from the wood and a little light caramel sweetness (but this remains a really dry dram overall). This has a bit of that Russell's Reserve 10 lightness and dryness with a potential old woody layer, but this has more tartness and a stronger spicy kick. There's considerable charring here that gives the wood a character of young wood pretending to be old through charring. When I really focus, I get a hint of orange peel, but it's difficult to detect. Finish: Spicy with lots of charred wood and a bit of orange peel and faint cherry at times. Not very complex. - Conclusion - This started as a major disappointment, but it grew on me. Initially, tasting it blind, I would have guessed this was a 3-6 year old bourbon bottled at closer to 65% ABV. When I returned the next night, it seemed like it could be considerably older, but I would likely still have leaned towards young with significant barrel influence. I could see it being up to 10 years old since it has a decent resemblance to Russell's Reserve 10. Tragically, in initial direct comparisons, I found that this performed worse than standard offerings like Wild Turkey 101. It seemed to have about the complexity and balance of Buffalo Trace after being diluted. I would have rated the two much closer than I anticipated and was considering a 12 or 13. Revisiting the second half of this sample on the second night changed things. I detected substantially more complexity and maturity. It still came across as hot and somewhat light, but I appreciated the flavor profile more. I think it surpassed Russell's Reserve 10 (15) when tasted side by side, but it wasn't quite at the level of Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18). I'm undecided: based solely on my second tasting, I'd lean towards a strong 17; however, I can't entirely dismiss what I experienced the first time, which was much worse. I think I'll settle on 16, but I would be completely ready to raise this to a 17 if I tasted it again. Thank you, a friend, for the sample.

This amber spirit has a faint orange hue. The winemakers are known for their expertise and palates. Their collaboration with Dixon Dedman created the Kentucky Owl brand (now Stoli, but the first batch was outstanding). They have since moved into sourcing and bottling single barrels, bourbon, rye, and American whiskey blends. This is actually my first sample of a single barrel from Old Carter, provided by a friend. I found a similar bottle and paid significantly too much for it, so this will either reduce my regret or confirm that I should just stick with WT 101. The aroma is rich and sweet. There's a strong note of nearly burnt caramel, along with earthy corn husk, medium dark cigar, anise, and robust (but balanced) oak. Also, ethanol. It has a silky texture on the palate, followed by a rush of sweet fruity, candy corn, and caramel flavors, then another wave of spice like two fireworks exploding. The finish is superb with caramel, banana, a hint of cinnamon roll, tobacco, and possibly dried pineapple. The spice truly develops, showing a range of anise, dill, cardamom, and clove notes that seem to appear in that sequence. The intense sweet flavors act as bookends. Although it feels smooth initially, there's a bit of a sting on the mid to back palate, reminding you of the alcohol content. There might be a slight bitterness, but it's so overwhelmed by delicious spices and baked goods that it's barely noticeable. I'll need to read other reviews, but I'm impressed. It's a potent spirit but full of flavor. It reminds me of Eagle Rare at 125 proof. It has less fruit and more spice than Elijah Craig or McKenna, and isn't as nutty as Beam. I don't know its origin beyond Kentucky, but it's a quintessential example. Congratulations to the creators on this barrel! I'd say 13 years was the perfect aging time for this spirit. I'm eager to try more of their offerings, thanks to a generous friend! I'll soon see if the bottle I purchased can match these.

This is my third single barrel from Old Carter; the previous two were good bourbons, but not exceptional enough to justify the $200 retail price or the extremely high secondary market costs. Let's see if this one is similar to the others or if it will offer something distinct. Upon the initial aroma, it possesses that familiar Old Carter richness, but it's more intense and sweeter. A second sniff reveals a sweetness reminiscent of a freshly opened bag of marshmallows, followed by rich caramel, then chocolate-covered candied nuts (similar to peanut brittle), fruits like caramelized banana, cherries jubilee, apple pie filling, and orange zest. It finishes with notes of old leather and polished mahogany, complemented by spearmint, subtle barrel spices including cloves, ginger, and cinnamon, and a moderate ethanol presence. The palate begins with a full body, offering a substantial Kentucky embrace of rich caramel. This is followed by candied nuts, leading to flavors of caramelized banana, hard cherry candy, apple, and candied orange. Graham cracker pie crust and spearmint then emerge, alongside barrel spices of ginger, cloves, old leather, and polished mahogany, with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is lengthy, featuring notes of salted roasted peanut shells, spearmint, polished mahogany, old leather, caramelized bananas, orange zest, apple pie filling, and chocolate-covered toasted marshmallow that persists for several minutes. This expression exhibits an amazing balance of flavors, demonstrating how unique each barrel can be. I sampled this alongside a glass of Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, and this Old Carter offers a superior balance and shows its age, making the Cowboy seem somewhat unbalanced and youthful. It is certainly worth the $200 premium, and at this point, I feel like Goldilocks; this particular single barrel is just right.