Old Pepper Finest Kentucky Oak Barrel Proof Bourbon

First, I like how it looks. I know appearance doesn't change much and isn't that important, but for some reason, it catches my eye. Moving on… The aroma has abundant oak and cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, avocado oil, browned sugar, burnt wood, sweet glazed pork, and corn. The taste is sweet and fruity, with a very smooth texture. Oak, candy apple, spiced corn, confectioners' sugar, black pepper, cherry, and cake are present. Much of this is excellent, featuring a truly pleasant flavor. The downsides are a lack of body in the middle and end of the palate, and a very brief finish. It begins above a 4 but diminishes. It's certainly mild for being barrel proof. Revisit 1/31/23. I'm detecting significant maple syrup and butterscotch, along with clove on the tongue. The finish is more pronounced this time, and quite tasty, yet still brief. Increasing the score slightly, but not by much. Despite these points, I really enjoy it.

It's bold but not very complex, with a smooth palate. Classic bourbon notes are present, including dark red fruit like cherries, sweetness, some oak, baking spices, and cloves. It initially tastes like cherry cola, which is quite astonishing, but subsequent sips don't offer much more.

This batch begins with cinnamon raisin and a significant amount of spice and oak. It transitions to vanilla ice cream and toasted oak with lingering spices. The mouthfeel is full, and the finish goes on for days with notes of vanilla ice cream, oak, and spice. Absolutely incredible.

Tried neat, a sample shared by a friend! On the nose, I detect notes of vanilla, oak (obviously), caramel, spice, brown sugar, pears, peaches, and a little cinnamon. On the palate, it's spicy with notes of cinnamon, toast, & char.

This improved as I drank it. Started as a 4, ended as a 4.33.

This ranks among the finest bourbons I've ever experienced.