Stranahan's 10 year Mountain Angel batch 4

The nose presents cedar, cinnamon, and pear. The palate offers woody notes, oak spice, apple/pear, and caramel. The wood is prominent, and it seems to drink hotter than its stated proof. The spice persists. Not much of the advertised age statement is apparent at 10 years old, so finding this at $75, which appears to be below the suggested retail price, is not a disappointment.

Lovely honey notes and a smooth mouthfeel are marred by the ethanol bite and a slightly bitter woody note. Sometimes those ethanol notes dissipate with more air exposure (looking at you--Crown Royal Barley malt), so I'm hoping this improves to a four-star rating.