So I was thinking that the whole “spire in the bottle” thing was pretty gimmicky, but then I had a taste of the “Bourbon and Vine” expression and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t pretty good, (will review it when I get my hands on a full bottle) so I decided to try the rest of the line. Nose is definitely oaky in a “furniture store” kind of way, along with cinnamon, pear, and waaaay too much ethanol for a 90 proof whiskey. On the palate it’s youthful and bright with cornbread, honey, baking spices, the pear from the nose, and pepper. Flavors are kind of brassy and not really well integrated. Finish is where I believe the whole “toasted spire” comes into play as there are some creme brûlée burnt sugar notes combined with a subtler oak note that’s pretty nice overall, albeit extremely short. Mouthfeel is plain ol’ medium bodied with no real defining characteristics. I found this to be less enjoyable than the Bourbon and Vine, but it’s…not bad. And that’s probably the best I can say for this one. At $45, it’s neither a deal nor a ripoff, but far from a rebuy for me.