P: Toffee immediately on the palate, gains heat; cinnamon and wood. Some sweetness; creamy and full mouthfeel. Vanilla and some earthiness, and a black tea tannin kick. 

F: Black cherry initially, fading quickly with earthiness. Dry wood.

 

8551 was oaky and showing age; this one has less heat and oak and in my opinion lacked a little complexity by comparison. 

Rich, deep, and oaky nose. Oh man. It smells like I'm in a candy store.

The palate is sweeter with more vanilla-corn than I expected from the nose. A little paint and varnish, and a lot more corn stuff, some chocolate. Medium-length finish.

This is a really, really nice bourbon. It's all pretty "old fashioned" in a sense, though at non-old-fashioned strength. The intensity here is al ot of what it's all about, and these kinds of flavors at a lower strength wouldn't do it for me -- if that makes any sense. But this is completely delicious.