Honey color and slickness. Very oily on the inside of the glass. The nose is at first heavy on the nuttiness: brown sugar, nutmeg, bulk candy caramels. There is a lot of spice too: black pepper and baking spices, ground cinnamon, a touch of powdered chocolate. Just a little cherry juice. It's surprisingly friendly in the nostrils for 94 proof. The first sip has a definite burn: lots of charred wood and dark chocolate. Spicy cinnamon heat. More of that nutty stuff: dusty nutmeg, brown sugar, molasses, and liquified almond. The corn syrup is there, but like toasted. Browned butter. The finish is a lot more intense than the sniff would suggest. Lots of charcoal and barrel char burn. Fennel seeds. Almond syrup and some kind of cherry syrup reduction. There is an acidic, citric bite like orange peel and lemon drop. I can't say that Jack Single Barrel is a transcendent experience, but it's awfully pleasant, if a tad overpriced at $55. It's a clean, pleasant experience with just enough oomph to make it worth your while, but not enough that your eyes start watering. Plus that bottle is beautiful.