Ragged Branch Double Oaked Wheated Bourbon Barrel Proof

Barrel 1176; Bottle 109 Filled 12-31-2015 Secondarily filled 04-26-2018 Removed from barrel Oct 2020 Around 4 years and 10 months old 62.0% alcohol; 124 proof Selected at Randleman ABC; Named "The Whiskey Man Hard Way Reserve" Opened 11 months ago Smell: Wood, cinnamon, wood, baking spices, wood, caramel, wood, vanilla, wood, moderate ethanol, and wood. Taste: Aggressive wood, arid cinnamon, ground wood, vanilla powder, wood fibers, sawdust, wood resin, old rye bread, sodden woodsy foliage in a muck puddle, coffee grounds, burnt wood ash sludge. The finish is incredibly extended, I cannot eliminate this wood flavor from my mouth. Please rescue me. This was a distinctive selection from Randleman ABC that wasn't available anywhere else in NC. I noticed some buzz for this, and for the cost, a twice-oaked barrel strength from a small distillery seemed like a good value. It was not. This is among the worst, if not the worst, bourbon I have ever consumed. The aroma is actually not bad, which explains the 0.5-star rating. There are some sweet notes concealed beneath the oak. However, the flavor is a completely different matter. It's nearly undrinkable. Upon contact with my tongue, my mouth and face contort unnaturally. I am inundated with intense liquid wood pulp that has been submerged in Everclear for years. It is dry, fiery, woody, astringent, and bitter beyond comprehension. I believe the issue is worsened by two critical elements. It's a very young wheated bourbon that likely had minimal developed flavors before undergoing an additional aging period of over 2 years! That seems excessively long for a twice-oaked bourbon. I doubt Woodford, Old Forester, or Elijah Craig would double-age their bourbon for an additional 2.5 years. I've possessed this bottle for nearly a year and have only consumed 15% of it? It's either destined for the forgotten depths of my cabinet or the trash after I finish this small amount.