Overall: Let it breathe. Not just the glass, but the bottle. Leave some headspace in there and let it be for a week or two. Out of the gate this tasted like someone smashed altoids into a block of oak with a mallet, then proceeded to drench that wood in kerosene and light it on fire. Once sufficiently charred, the piece of wood was then extinguished into water that was then bottled and sold as Knob Creek 9... Fortunately this got better with some oxidization, and that is where my review comes from. For the price I'd rather have a 1.75L of EW BiB, a bottle of Russells 10, Larceny, Makers, Buffalo Trace, etc. etc. You get the point. Its alright, but really underdelivers at 35ish bucks. Nose: Wet Oak, maple syrup, grass Palate: spices and syrup. Nothing distinct, they kinda just bleh together with a decent enough mouth feel. Finish: Medium in length, buttery honey rolls. Definitely the star of the show here.