Hits me a lot like the private barrel I have, which is to say it hits with the brute force of sweet caramel and brisket smoke. It's a taste that calls to me rarely since I've had the bottle, but it's well made and enjoyable when in the mood. The Lost Lantern seems to have a bit more sweetness, but just as heavy of mesquite smoke. I don't know what this cost, but I'm guessing it was more than the $80 I paid for the private barrel, so value considered, I don't know that there's any difference here. As has been noted before, this is better than the similar smoky Balcones Brimstone, but the one Del Bac Distiller's Cut I tried is at another level. However, it's released seasonally, and the contents and finishing changes with each release, so YMMV. The unmesquited regular release single malt (Classic) isn't bad either. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample of this one!