Neat: Mostly oak with caramel but acetone steals the show. The acetone was a deal breaker until I drank this with steak. With steak: Caramel, vanilla and cinnamon but no acetone; cherry and oak on the finish Neat, this is a 2 star bourbon. With steak it is a 4 star bourbon. This is why I like to try each bourbon neat, with a few drops of water or with steak or cheese. So many factors can affect the flavor of a bourbon. I originally thought this was a crap bourbon until I tried it with dinner. Don’t be afraid to experiment!