Aroma- Great balance of light and dark tones here. Birthday cake/cupcake batter mixed with dark berries. Lot of dessert like notes. As it opens, I keep getting honey graham cracker teddy bears. Very little rye profile here.. it’s farther away from the glass. The alcohol presence is quite evident and kind of dominates the nose. Taste - Brown sugar, caramel and tons of alcohol soaked dark fruits. Rye hides very well until much later in the finish where it randomly pops alongside a drying oaky note. Rye comes quite earthy and spicy. I get a slight hint of a barnyard hay note (similar to what I find in Willet 4yr which is one of my personal favorites). Overall - Very very proofy… The front and mid palate is solid. Viscosity and mouthfeel is above average as well. But the finish lacks depth and is all alcohol. For a Single Barrel, Barrel Proof offering… give me JDSBBP 10/10 times. This is good, but it’s not great and for the price point it’s just okay. Never thought I would say this but I think the 96 proof Bardstown is far better.