I’ve had a couple of Oak and Eden expressions, and thus far and one has been good (Bourbon and Vine) and one so-so (Bourbon and Spire). The experiment continues; is this whole “spire” thing a gimmick or is there something to it? Read on… I rarely comment about the color of a whiskey as I’ve had dark whiskeys that taste young and light ones that taste aged, but it does bear mentioning that for a two year old bourbon, this has a really dark color. Could be a good sign? On the nose, getting dark fruits in the form of black cherry, plum, and…pomegranate? Also getting caramel, slightly overcooked gingerbread cookie, oak, and smoke. Fairly aromatic for 90 proof and quite pleasant. Palate actually has a lot going on. Fruits are there but brighter than the nose; apple and pear, sort like a canned fruit cocktail. Gingerbread (or at least the ginger) from the nose present as well. Caramel and barrel (spire?) char ride continuously underneath. Flavors aren’t particularly rich, but there’s complexity there. Finish features cocoa powder, cake frosting, and baking spices (more ginger but also clove and cinnamon) and goes for a little longer than you’d expect and by that I mean “medium” because I expected short. Mouthfeel is where the youth finally cannot be hidden; it’s pretty grainy and adds a sharpness to the finish otherwise not present in the flavor profile. Overall I found this to be a surprise that punches above its weight class. There’s a depth of flavors here that you would never guess is 2 yr old MGP, which means the spire is doing…something. At $50, it’s right on the verge of a rebuy for me. On one hand, there is definitely better out there for the price. On the other, good wheaters are truly hard to come by and I’d say this qualifies. A rebuy if no other better wheaters available.