Bulleit 10 has a lighter look than I expected from a middle aged whiskey, with a light amber coloring. Coating the glass yields skinny legs.

The nose is what I expect from an older bourbon with a higher (if not actually “high”) rye content: spicy with cloves, cinnamon, anise and a hint of dill; a dry, tea-tannin note; and a current of barrel-driven caramel flowing around the edges. A sip shows the flavor follows pretty directly from there: spices, dry pepper, a little vanilla sweetness, and a touch of barrel char. The finish runs with dry pepper and barrel char.

What the extra aging does to the old Bulleit profile is bring the barrel char out more, enhancing it by adding some dryness to the whiskey. So, if you like your bourbon with barrel char, this is a bottle to keep on your shelf.