Nose: Brown sugar, oak chips, vanilla, caramel. Cherries, orange zest and nuts in the background and a host of spicy aromas – this has a rye-dominant profile when neat. With water it softens and the fruity aromas come more to the fore. Palate: Sweet caramel in the entry rapidly gaining peppery cinnamon heat. Molasses, oak, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg and chewing tobacco all appear as it develops. Well balanced with an unctuous mouthfeel. It blooms with a dash of water. Finish: Medium. Creamy, leathery spices and some tannic crispness. A touch of caramel reappears in the aftertaste. A very agreeable bourbon that displays interesting balance and presence. I enjoyed it more when watered than neat, and found the magic point to be just under 50% abv. At this point a host of fruity notes (particularly black cherry) come cascading out. There is an amplification of caramel on the palate and this gives the texture a buttery quality, almost like butterscotch. Arguably it is less balanced with water, but I preferred it that way. The tightness of the neat spirit is relaxed and it feels more accommodating. Overall I enjoyed this and if it was at a more sensible price point I’d grab a bottle, however at the asking price of AUD$160 it’s just not worth it. As nice as it may be there are better bourbons for half as much. Tasted from a 15ml sampler. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)