Oak and vanilla on the initial nose. I know it may be weird but I get a Sharpie marker smell from the French Oak. Palette is sweet vanilla cream and then wood and spice. Both the nose and taste are not like a seasoned, antique wood but like going to home depot and standing in the lumber department and you are chewing on a toothpick. So a younger, cleaner wood. It finishes with that sweet vanilla and then fades to a flat wood note (again like you've been chewing on a wooden toothpick for a while) Not bad, but I don't think I am a fan of a bourbon with this much French Oak. But if you like it, then you will probably like this one.