Giving to me by a friend who is giving up whisky for a little while. Not something that I probably would have pulled the trigger on myself, so let’s see what we’ve got here: Nose opens with spearmint/wintergreen, black tea, and rye spice, but there is a hint of fruit which I’m guessing is imparted by the port finish. Orange zest and berry. But the nose as a whole is a little muted, unfortunately. Honestly, this palate opens like any other young MGP rye; herbal tea, honey, lemongrass, white pepper, and mint. The low proof isn’t really letting the flavors shine, and everything comes off a little flat. The finish is where things get interesting and by far the best part of this. In addition to the flavors from the palate carrying through we add cinnamon, caramel, clove, fig, hazelnut, and blackberry. The length is pretty short. Mouthfeel is on the thicker side of medium bodied and is a nice fit for the profile. Well, this isn’t a home run, nor is it an epic fail. More like “lost in the shuffle”. I expected more from the port finish than what presented here. While it’s hard to find major flaws (yay MGP), it’s also hard to find anything remarkable that would make me want to buy it. At $43 it is in no way overpriced, but I’d probably rather pay an up charge and go with something richer and punchier. Meh?