Fred Minnick this week reviewed Barrell Craft Spirits 20 Year Toasted Bourbon Single Barrel – and he got some mixed results.

The release, which is a blend of Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana bourbons, is bottled at 109.76 proof, with an SRP of $199. The whiskeys were blended and then finished in a single, toasted barrel.

Fred notes that the phrase “toasted” was popularized by Michters.

“The whole toasted craze is relatively new within the last 20 years, but boy, it really has taken off,” he says in the video, which can be viewed below or on YouTube. But he says it’s not because “toasted” has become a marketing-driven catch phrase. “It’s because the whiskey is usually really good.”

He credits the toasted barrels for imparting more wood sugars into the whiskey.

As for the review, the initial aromas that Fred perceived were bubble gum, banana, toffee and fig. On the palate, there was up-front sweetness, with notes of brown sugar and honey. But then, he says, the flavor profile sort of comes apart, at least for his palate.

“Afterward, it’s like a stale cracker,” Fred says. “Kind of savory and salty at the same time, but stale.”

As he continues tasting, the bourbon improves, with the banana notes coming to the fore. He compares it to taking home leftover bananas foster from a “southern picnic,” and eating it the following day after it was left out for a bit too long.

“It still tastes pretty darn good,” Fred says. “But if you know better, you know it ain’t all right – you know it’s probably better fresh. … But you still eat it anyway.”

Check out the video for the full review.

Read more: Barrell Announces 10/9 Release of 20-Year Toasted