Whiffs of brown sugar mixed with acrid, unripe bananas greet the nose. After a tipple or two, the aromas consolidate into warm, comfortable brown sugar-crusted banana bread. The nosing notes mirror the palate in the overall flavor hit. Hints of cola with added vanilla and caramel qualities make themselves known as well. Then cinnamon notes lead to a dark spice finish, as tobacco flavors layer in to compliment the experience. This is definitely a whiskey that I should partake in only after a drink or two of something else. As a first tipple, it's a hammer: a palate-cleansing gold brick in an Ansell cattle hide glove. Anything savored afterwards will taste oddly unhinged and diluted. With a four or five drops of water, a good deal of the heat is neutralized. The brown sugar characters are highlighted in the palate, even as a refreshing spearmint note appears in the finish. To wrap things up - at this point, I should introduce price as a coefficient in rendering a score. Unfortunately for bourbon drinkers in California, prices are comically inflated in the most brutal of ways. What you can buy for $45 plus change in the South or East Coast, is sent upwards of $90 here. I'll do a little comparison here with a couple of other bourbons in the same price range and ABV: This is certainly no better than the ECBP, as the heat is much more dominant on the both the nose and the palate. And, while it is sweeter than the Stagg Jr, this Full Proof is less bold and complex. These latter two, I will save for special occasions. This one - I will drink before I head outside to ski while bareback and in shorts. To say I would replace this bottle once it's empty is a tough call - but, I'll enjoy whatever's left in the meantime. 3.75/5 - and a quarter point off for value.