Just picking up a prescription and exiting my local CVS and what do I see? This rye on clearance for $19.99! Not normally on my radar, but any time you can get a 100 proof rye from a major distiller for a Jackson, you have to do it, don’t you? On the nose, lemongrass, hay, honey, barrel char, and generic “citrus”. Aroma has decent pungency. Palate opens with rye grain spice and sweetness in the form of baked apple skin, and some light vanilla before transitioning into white pepper, fennel, and leather in the mid palate. Flavors are nice but lack some depth and flavors land firmly in the middle of the tongue and set up camp there. Finish is surprisingly long with more pepper, cinnamon, and oak tannins. Mouthfeel is soft and round and suits the flavor profile really well. A simple soft rye with no major flaws but no real exciting or unique characteristics either. There’s definitely some things to like though. Might be a great choice for the bourbon drinker just getting into ryes. Absolutely worth it at the ridiculous clearance price I paid. At its normal $30 ish range? I’m going say probably not, given Rittenhouse and High West Double Rye are out there in the same price range. Earns a “not bad at all” 3.5 rating.