Taste- 2 oz. Neat in Glen cairn and then with 3-4 drops of water in 1oz. pour. Color is a beautiful dark sparkling amber color. Nose- Delicious taffy candied apple and vanilla ice cream. There is also a bit of roasted peanuts. This nose reminds you of walking through a county fair with a freshly dipped apple on a stick. Really intoxicating and superbly done! Palate- The viscosity is incredible. It clings like maple syrup but not in a sticky sugary way. So coating and elegantly to the sides of the glass and upon entry almost like slathered butter on a freshly baked roll. Before I even start noting flavors the mouthfeel let's me know this is going to be a treat. There is some peanut brittle and then a slight hit of a more peppery note that reminds me that this is a rye and not a bourbon upon entry. I like this pepper hit because without it this might have become too candied. This note strikes the balance. I get some oak mid palate, yellow butterscotch candy, pulled saltwater taffy, and that crisp, vibrant, Granny Smith I experienced on the nose, all dipped in vanilla ice cream! A touch of water brings out some cinnamon stick, but to me this is best served as is. The water hurt the viscosity a bit and only served to dilute what I was really enjoying. Finish- The finish has an earthiness about it. I get an almost ginger taste on the way out and a bit of "umaminess." The last note then definitely transitions to brown sugar. Overall- I really feared the price point here. Is this just another hype bottle? $250 for an n.a.s, finished rye, albeit cask strength and from a producer who has had some incredible hits along with some major misses? The odd finishing concept though lured me in. Ice cider????? I know Gretzky did it with some ice wine casks (it was meh, sorry #99) but that is far different with fermented apples as opposed to sweet icy grapes. This though really wowed me. It was different, layered, flavorful, rich, and damned good! Do I like $250 price tag.......no. Do I think it is worth $250? I really don't think there are but a handful of whiskies worth over $100! Keeping the silly limited price out of it, this is a solid 4.75 for me for its innovation, taste, character, execution. Add in the silly "limited pricing" , the complicated box, frosted bottle that I could do without, and it falls to a 4.0. Since I don't spend your money and I just rate the whiskey........my overall rating reflects what's in the bottle, not on the price tag.