Fresh off my taste of BRT-02, this BRT-01 smells a fair bit brighter. Gone are the notes of molasses. This one smells... vibrant somehow. Baking spices with cherries ( but not over ripened ) and a hint of the butterscotch that was also present in BRT-02 fills your nose. The taste brings you down a wonderfully sweet, tart and complex road. You get a little bit of toasted spice at first, think slightly charred cinnamon sticks. That opens up to wonderfully bright and slightly tart cherries. Linking the taste and finish is that familiar spice but this time accompanied by a slight hint of brown sugar. The finish brings it all together. I still taste the tartness from mid taste but with a bit of tongue prickle from spice. Its long lasting and satisfying. Maker's Mark Wood Finishing series still ( in my humble opinion ) stand as some of the best bourbons you can buy at a reasonable price. Well... if you buy them at retail price. But right now, BRT-01 and BRT-02 are finally hitting shelves in California and have been readily available in other parts of the country for weeks. Well worth the price of admission. Between the two? BRT-01 is brighter, livelier and more fun than BRT-02 which focuses on darker, sweet notes. Hard to pick between the two but my vote goes toward BRT-01 as the better of the two.