An extremely expressive nose of baked apricot, candy plum, and nougat candy lead the way to this rich, but even-textured bourbon. Hints of wheat grain make for a dense, sweet-tasting profile that exits with a refined class. - 2016 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE

Top 100 Spirits of 2023. There's no age statement on the label; that's intentional. The lore of this liquid is that it includes a small amount of the last bourbon ever produced at the iconic Stitzel-Weller distillery, which closed in 1992. (Diageo re-opened it in 2014.) This blend of straight bourbons offers vanilla on nose and palate, leading into almond and a hint of dried apricot. The finish is lively and relatively dry, with grapefruit peel, leather and chamomile tea. Overall, it's a light-handed and pleasing take, regardless of how much (or little) old/rare distillate is actually in the glass.