Tasted in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Very rich sap and resin, sophisticated oak, mild and slightly tangy blackberry and fudge. Adding a teaspoon of water and . . . This has really opened up the oak and fudge. I’m now getting freshly polished furniture and chocolate. Taste - Neat - Immediately noticing a characteristic I rarely find in bourbon but always love when I do, smokiness. There is a distinctive smoky, meaty quality to the arrival. Quite oaky, but not in a hot or sharp sawdust type of way. There’s a certain semi-sweet, rich, dense, waxy-fatty quality that isn’t quite opened up, adding a teaspoon of water and . . . This has opened up the confection here, as I’m now getting some chocolate fudge, but unfortunately it has also stifled the smokiness. Final thoughts : What an incredible tasty and interesting bourbon. I find myself enjoying this one a bit more neat than with water added. That being said, I recommend trying it both ways to see which you prefer. For those intrigued by idea of smoke in bourbon, I was immediately reminded of Old Tub by Jim Beam. It is certainly much less complex and tends to favor green apple over the more dense wood and fudge flavors found here, but for those that want to find a bourbon with some smoke on a budget, Old Tub is worth checking out. All in all, I’m loving this and totally find it to have earned the hype that surrounds it!