Nose: Sweet notes of honey and sugar shards combine with butterscotch to make the nose an irresistible dessert-like treat. There’s a good amount of charred wood and cinnamon that combine with a whiff of apple peel. Apple is not the main fruit note though, that would be banana. The way the vanilla interacts with the banana brings back childhood memories of Banana Pudding rimmed with Nilla Wafers. I love Jack Daniel’s for this exact reason.

Palate: I know this is not a comparison review, but if I were to compliment this JD Select for one thing it does better than its Barrel Proof version, it’s that it is much sweeter. Not sickly sweet, mind you, but the caramel and honey combine to kind of coat all of the other flavors I’m finding. It’s also noticeably creamy in its delivery. There are roasted nuts, toasted oak, bananas and vanilla.  I’m also surprised to find a faint floral note which is unusual for the brand but ends up giving this a little bit more complexity.

Finish: The lingering oak and barrel char at the end is a tad bit drying on my tongue.  There are banana runts and a decent amount of sweetness that ensure that the finish doesn’t turn overly tannic. It’s not as complex or satisfying as other bourbons, but it’s still enjoyable