The nose starts with a rich mix of chardoke, earthy rye spice, vanilla, brown sugar, and slight touches of molasses and dried flowers. It definitely comes across older than just 4 and 1/2 years, offering a very full experience before you've even taken your first sip. The palate is intense, dry and chewy. It starts with an incredible burst spice that completely engulfs the mouth As charred oak comes in behind it. The smoother notes are indeed there but they are quite far in the background. That's not to say that's a bad thing, as this is a rye whiskey and the rye is very dominant and very forward. So as a straight to the point rye whiskey this one hits pretty hard in the best way possible. The finish is medium to medium long, there is a lingering spice that keeps the mouth pretty tingly, but the whole thing goes away quicker than you would think. Usually you would count this against the entire experience, but for something to be so intense but not making you feel like you need a minute to recover, that's actually kind of nice. This is a good one, pretty special in the world of rye whiskey as again, this punches above its weight in every aspect. When it comes to its price point And especially the fact it's only four and a half years old is pretty remarkable. This will be sorely missed when it's gone.