Since this sucker is 95% rye, it should give me the Platonic ideal of what "rye whiskey" is, yes? I got a half-bottle for $20, which I wish they would make more of. The nose is potpourri, cinnamon. Earthy and rustic, like brown autumn leaves. The aroma is kind of harsh: barrel spices and finished wood. I get spicy fennel. It brings me back to childhood spearmint scratch-n-sniff stickers. Prickly orange zest. Taste is cinnamon, mint leaf, orange peel, citrus, with a chewy, syrupy feel. A second wave of toffee and spicy ribbon candy. Black licorice and star anise. The wood is musty like an old barn. The finish is orange rind, mixed peel, bitter grapefruit, bitters and white pepper. It is tannic and metallic. The oaky wood tastes lacquered, like nail polish remover, but in a good way? This one stands on its own, with lots of spices and an herbal character. But it's also tailor made for an Old Fashioned or a Kentucky Mule. A very solid buy.