Here's a word for the day: unimpressive. I've heard good things about the single barrel rye Jack Daniel's offers but sadly their regular rye product turns out to be an odd but ultimately unexciting entry into the field. What makes this a weird Rye is that it has that Jack Daniel's trademark banana scent and flavor. Banana is the main nose profile you get with rye lingering awkwardly around the corner. You really need to let this one air out because at first pour the smells don't really mesh together. Once it settles down though it's a pleasant enough mix of banana with a hint of rye spice along with mild notes of artificial cherry that also gives it an almost medicinal like scent, honey and oak. It's not a terrible scent but it's really hard to be excited about. Unlike other more traditional ryes this one doesn't have much of that spicy kick you'd expect from a rye whiskey. Sure it's there but it doesn't really show up until the late mid palate and starts fading away by the time the finish arrives. What's curious is that this tastes overwhelmingly like bananas with some of the oak flavors occassionaly showing up so it feels like you're eating nutty banana bread with some vanilla extract. There's also some hints of a slight medicinal flavor at the front palate. This would honestly be a neat flavor except that it tastes really young to me. I really think this needs to be aged more because it has this weird, almost unaged characteristic to it, almost as if the whiskey itself hasn't yet matured and quite found it's identity. As the banana and rye kick fade out the back palate turns into a nice, almost cereal like quality. It's not very well defined but it isn't bad. Sadly the finish is extremely lackluster. You just get the oak flavors...and that's it. It's severely underwhelming and disappointing. All things considered this is a competent rye whiskey with some potent banana aromas and flavors. If you're a fan of those tasting notes, this may well be worth your attention. Otherwise there just isn't too much to say about this rye other than it exists and makes for a decent budget option. It's not bad. It really isn't. But I just feel like I want more out of my ryes. I'll be on the look-out for the single barrel Jack Daniel's Rye. I hear good things about that outing and this one shows they have the potential to make something unique and spectacular.