Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: Fairly light nose with familiar hints of sugar and/or molasses and burnt oak. Palate: (Pour #1 - Drank with an ice cube) Slightly bitter oak tannins on the very first sip. Pretty spicy on the tongue. Definitely more spicy than sweet. Yes... this is a very spicy pour (I see the expert review concurs). Bitter and spicy. Something akin to "wax" also comes through. As the ice dilutes it, the spiciness mellows out a little. I'm not sure whether this is going to end up on my "Least Favorite" list, but this first pour has not impressed. Maybe pour #2 might show me something worth getting more excited about... Pour #2 I drank with a large ice ball... and I did the same with Pour #3.... The main takeaway from the two subsequent pours was the "old library book" flavor that I've gotten from nearly every Rye whiskey I've had. I think that's what threw me off Initially. I'm designating this, "Rye masquerading as Bourbon". Furthermore, I would place this one in the "better for mixing than sipping" category. Finish: Medium with the aforementioned spicy rye elbowing everything else out. Final Thoughts: Not bad, not great; Not the worst, but far from the best; Glad I bought it, but won't be buying again. 3.0 stars that are flirting with 2.75.