N: Black licorice, burnt brown sugar, caramel, ethanol. Dash of spiced fruit (citrus?) in the background. Possibly some lemon develops over time. Ethanol starts to numb after a bit. P: Vanilla, baking spice, caramel, brown sugar, cooked orange. More baking spice, moving toward a more defined cinnamon. A grainy, cereal rye note settles in as a baseline, but then everything else just drops off: flat and thin in the middle with no development or transition to the finish. There is a finish - cinnamon, some heat, and a little bit of wood - but this dram disappears in the middle of the palate. This was a gift, so I can't be too hard on it. It's got moments of promise, but ultimately lands a bit wimpy. Would be interesting to try a barrel proof or even a BIB version of this. As it stands, feels like the reputation outstrips the juice. It's not undrinkable by any stretch, but there are many better bourbons out there.