I am a bourbon guy and don't care a whole bunch for most ryes. That being said, I find this to be an excellent whiskey. I'm not sure that I would rate this the best in the world this year, but it is an excellent offering from the folks at Crown Royal. On the nose, you definitely pick up the rye notes. I also get a sweet fruit smell. Someone described it as juicy fruit gum. I think that is spot on. On the palate, this one is fairly light. The rye burn hits immediately followed by a light oak. Not overly complicated. Tastes pretty young if you ask me. Is this good. Yeah. Is it a great value for $35. Yeah. Whiskey of the year. Meh....