Van Winkle Family Reserve 17 year

The nose is intense with charred oak, ripe fruit, vanilla, brown sugar and hints of molasses. This is wildly bold, also offering a nice vintage funk to it. It soon calms down and starts to offer notes of caramel, bit retains how massive it comes off as. The palate is chewy and mostly dry, filling the mouth with charred oak, a burst of pepper, creamy notes of vanilla and brown sugar, and sweetness of molasses and mildly of fruit. There is a lot going on with this one, but it is all in a beautiful balance, very mesmerizing. What else is there to say when it is perfect? The finish is long, oaky, spicy and creamy. Everything remains blended together and is in no hurry to leave. This is from the long gone Old Boone distillery and is pure magic. A quality of bourbon that is long gone, unfortunately. You are transported back in time drinking it and it is a rare chance to taste it. PERFECT.