Nose: Vanilla and rye spice dominate. Oak, brown sugar. Fennel/herbaceous anise, cardamom, bready. Black pepper. Slight floral perfume note. The slightest suggestion of brine. Banana, red and green grape.
Palate: Vanilla, oak, brown sugar, banana, strawberry, watermelon. Cream cheese frosting. Slight tannin. Bubblegum. Fennel, cardamom, clove all present, but much less than on the nose. Maybe a hint of barrel char. Finish has a slight negroni-like quality to it.
Other notes: This is an unusual one. The nose presents like a decent rye, while the palate is like a decent bourbon. The balance of flavors here is mostly good, though characteristics are mostly in the low and mid palate notes. Nothing really bright and shiny. This doesn't command your attention like some other things might, though there's enough here to go exploring. Reminds me a bit of what's coming out of Splinter Group. A decent enough bottle at the price point that I might buy it again. Maybe.