Bib & Tucker has a decent reputation in the bourbon world — particularly its older expressions — and today the outfit launches its oldest expression yet, a 15 year old bourbon it calls The Golden Spike. (Why The Golden Spike? It honors the transcontinental railroad, began in 1845, and the 17.6 karat gold spike used to complete the line connecting the east to the west. “The Golden Spike celebrates the completion of this great achievement in American history. Each bottle includes a Gold Train Bottle Topper to further signify the historic moment,” per the brand.

What that has to do with this whiskey I’m not entirely sure, but we do know this is sourced from a Tennessee distillery — and not much else. (It is unclear if this undergoes the Lincoln County process.) With that prologue out of the way, let’s get to tasting. B&T promises this “will only be bottled once,” after all.

Bib & Tucker The Golden Spike Bourbon 15 Years Old Tasting Notes

A well-tempered nose plays things easy, a showcase for sweetened Corn Pops that had me thinking of those little cereal boxes we only got to eat on vacation as kids. Vanilla, butterscotch, and almond syrup round out a very sweet aromatic profile, with some late-game savory elements, barrel char and a note of dill, finally creeping in. These are all prelude to a palate which doubles down on its sweeter side, with that butterscotch character particularly heavy. From there the whiskey’s fruit quickly evolves, showing off a surprising tropical side that features lychees, pineapple, and a hint of coconut. Notes of guava and a callback of dill make for a rather exotic but also spicy finish, abetted by a 50.4% abv that adds a slightly racy element to the proceedings.

It’s surely Dickel stock, but it’s clearly from a very good selection of barrels — and not at all over-oaked. $200 may be asking a lot for this experience… but I did mention the Gold Train Bottle Topper, right?

100.8 proof.

A- / $200

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