Color: medium amber. Nose: Oak, leather and apples. Palate: First sip I took neat. Initial alcohol assault on the sinuses, along with a nice warm hug. Dropped in a large ice ball to tone it down and allow the flavors to come forward. First sip with ice revealed a very spicy profile along with the inevitable sweetness I'd expect from Maker's. However, I'm having trouble identifying specifics on this very first pour.* Finish: Drying and spicy/tingly. *I plan on adding more details in the very near future — including results from a blind I am planning to conduct between this BEP and the two 2023 BRT releases. Stay tuned...