Tasted in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Sherry to start, refined sap, mild roasted pecan, sour cherry, tart apple, bubble gum, mild tobacco and notable old leather as it opens up. Adding a teaspoon of water and . . . The tart apple is brought forward with the other notes remaining intact. Brown sugar syrup and mild cinnamon stick. Taste - Neat - Immediately reminded of a high end VSOP / XO Cognac / Brandy, mild sophisticated leather, toasted Demerara sugar and very mild cinnamon stick. Remarkably smooth at 45% drank neat, but let’s add a teaspoon of water and see what happens . . . This rightly increases the cognac / brandy impression. With the softening of the burn, it drinks much gentler as you’d expect from a good cognac or brandy. Final Thoughts - Absolutely incredible. This one earns a place in my top 3 bourbons without a doubt. I’ve encountered bourbons that mimicked notes found in aged dark rums before, but never cognac or brandy. As a fan of those, I find this to be very interesting and engaging, tasting flavors from both the bourbon and brandy spectrums. I do prefer the flavor just a touch better drank neat. Definitely worth buying if you can find it!