The nose really draws you in, caramel, spicey rye and bazooka joe bubble gum. The palate hits completely different than the nose though, quite hot, fairly dry and herbal. The heat goes down during the finish and I get oak and leather as it dissapates. You definitely feel the higher ABV on this, and while a little water tones down the heat, I didn't find that it brought out the flavours any further. Definitely interesting but not really my cup of tea when it comes to rye.