N: Rich caramel note off the bat - unusually hearty for a rye, and very welcome. Smoked rye grain notes with a slight barbecued meat character mingling in. Vanilla mint cream swirl, dash of butterscotch, dried cooking herbs. Like the straight bourbon, bit more ethanol than I might like, but can't complain at the price point. P: Caramel, butterscotch, toffee. Then it turns rye with the earthy and herbal notes you expect. Herbal mint tea, menthol, raw mint leaves. Finish is a slightly hot, but definitely cooled off by all the mint flavors. Also, pine cone, mineral water, mild cinnamon, and a sort of cooked vegetable note (faint). Slightly bitter and tannic with a somewhat light/thin mouthfeel (that feels right for this bottle). Another EC entry level winner. I overpaid for this bottle, but can find it for sub-$25. At that price, this can be a great go-to rye. I've had a few better ryes at twice the price (and also a few duds), but can only think of one cheaper one I would prefer: the Old Overholt BiB rye. But this is more readily available near me and makes a fine substitute. I expect it will enter the regular rotation. ----- Thought I'd start a Distiller Community Discord server and just see if anyone is up for joining/starting a spirits conversation in real time. Here's a link: https://discord.gg/zwdYvAEN. Say hello.