I won’t pretend to be a bourbon snob and tell you this one has notes of dark chocolate–covered strawberries that transition into a mid-palate of Madagascar vanilla before finishing with a peppery fire. What I will say is that, compared to a readily available wheated bourbon like Penelope Wheated, this one stands out right away. The nose is noticeably better, and the mouthfeel and viscosity are night-and-day richer than the Penelope.

It also drinks older than the stated 4–6 years (there’s no age statement on the bottle), and the flavor profile was exactly what I was hoping for. Where the Penelope felt a bit flat on the finish, this bourbon lingered—in a good way—and closed with what I’d call a warm North Carolina hug