Rating: 18/23 I tried a sample of this (well, a different batch) recently and I really liked it, so I went and bought my own. I've been burned by this kind of decision making before, like when I bought my Balcones True Blue, but I'm hopeful that this will be excellent. Even if it's not quite as good, I'll be happy. N: It's hot with a sort of woody grainy richness to it. I'm not getting a lot here and it might be a tad youthful. P: This does kind of burn, but there are nice sweet and rich flavors here. Caramel with some orange. I do get a bit of herbal something and mint, but it's really on the sweet side. Ironic for something with "smoke" in its name. There's this richness that's a bit nuttiness that's like a nice oloroso finishing. I'm also getting some hints of chocolate. F: The sweetness remains and this just kind of goes on mellowly. for a bit. - Conclusion - This is great. Is it amazing? Probably not. But it's still quite nice. And for the price? Maybe a bit steep, but not in the range where I regret it. How is this compared with Wild Turkey Rare Breed (18-19/23)? Honestly, the Wild Turkey might be a little bit better. This is probably more of a 17 or 18. I'm liking it a lot, but I think it needs a $20 price drop. Old Forester 1920 (18/23) is a bit funkier than this, but it's less hedonistic. This is less bold, but more sophisticated. They're pretty close. This is likely an 18. Coming back to this, it does have a bit of youthful meatiness holding it back.