Old Carter Straight Bourbon Batch 14

I haven't been overly impressed with this brand. Mostly whiskies that are too young for exorbitant prices, but I was told this was special. It's at least 7-8 years old with a 99% corn mash bill, finished in a second barrel. Nose - Roasted coffee with dark chocolate over French vanilla icing. A wonderfully pleasant sweetness with some youthful corn notes coming through. Taste - It has a classic old Carter profile that they seem to seek out. It's almost vegetal, like tomato, if that makes any sense. Actually, it's somewhat reminiscent of the chewy Spree candies once you get past the outer shell (which I'm not a fan of). Roast coffee reappears here, but it also has some bite and heat from the alcohol. A very nicely roasted character layered over the traditional younger MGP notes. I'm surprised it's 99% corn; while I don't detect much rye or anything similar, I don't always notice that in younger MGP spirits anyway. Overall, it's a significant improvement over some previous Old Carter batches, but I'm not willing to spend $230 for my own bottle.

Nose: smoky aroma, notes of caramel and licorice, with a touch of grassy flavor. Palate: smooth texture, featuring smoky corn, hickory, hints of vanilla bean, and an unidentifiable element reminiscent of New Orleans cuisine. Lingering sweet rye aftertaste, prolonged and dry.

It's potent, even with additions it wasn't to my preference, but I dislike high proof spirits that drink stronger than their stated proof.