Stellum Cygnus Single Barrel Bourbon (Baytowne Wine & Spirits)

My bottle is from Total wine put up at 116 proof. It has a light honey color and slow thick legs. It is distilled in Indiana and bottled in Louisville, KY by the Barrell Bourbon folks. Best info I find says it's 4-5 year MGP high rye bourbon. This one is shy on the nose taking 10-15 minutes to open up and still there's not much there. This is the second pour from the bottle as the neck was a couple weeks ago. There is no depth to the nose or palate and it's has a quite thin mouth feel. Oddly there is a long lasting, crisp, spicy finish and a moderate KY hug. Aside from the finish, this drinks more like an 80 proof bottom shelfer - very muted. Generally, I am a fan of MGP high rye products and have been pleased with a couple 4-5 year bottlings (Belle Meade, George Remus and Smoke Wagon) albeit lower proof versions. Proofed this one down a bit but not much change. It's a single barrel, so maybe an off bottle but for $60 I am disappointed. On the positive side this one will be perfect for my wife's old fashioneds.

Cygnus single barrel from Molly's. Similar ABV as the bottle noted above (I didn't care to add a separate entry). I really enjoy the MGP high rye mash bill, so this one works for me. I'd say it's something of a commodity though, so I'd go find the cheapest option with the oldest age from whichever NDP you can find. Not sure what this cost, but this is a fine example. Other Stellum single barrels I've seen have been in the 5 year range, and I'd guess this is similar. I like this better than Belle Meade Reserve, so I'll put this a quarter point above it.