While I love Henry McKenna and ECBP, I consider this to be Heaven Hill's flagship product. Not that it's better than either of those, but it does the best at representing the spirit of the distillery, if that makes any sense. It's been a staple in my whiskey for a long time, so I may be a bit biased here. Let's check it out. Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cocoa, and brown sugar. Roasted chestnut, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Orange peel and kettle corn. Apple and pecan. Newspaper and a bit of leather couch. Barrel char and cinnamon heat. It's a nice start. Palate: Chewy caramel and vanilla. Apple, orange zest, and apricot. Brown sugar and toffee. Mint chocolate and pistachio. Something like mango or papaya. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, ginger. Oak. Awesome palate. Finish: Apple, caramel, cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla followed by cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and oak. Medium to long finish. Very good. As far as flagship, entry level bourbons go, this is about as good you'll get (I consider Evan Williams and Jim Beam White Label bottom shelf and not entry level.) It's this and the Knob Creek NAS (I haven't had the 9-year yet.) This is a great baseline for the ECBP range. I really liked the EC 12. I'm disappointed that it's gone and I'm hopeful that it will return, if only as an annual release. If they can do the 18 every year, I see no reason why they can't cut us some nostalgia with the 12-year. As for this one, it certainly suffices as a replacement to the 12. I started getting into bourbon as the 12-year was being phased out, so most of my positive experiences with Heaven Hill's flagship product have been associated with this NAS release. For $31, this is a no-brainer. That's dirt cheap for anything remotely worth drinking in New Jersey. And this one well exceeds that benchmark. Well done, Heaven Hill 4.25/5.