Smell is a mild, dead at first, gradually opening up a bit to offer mere hints of rich, sweet caramel and vanilla, with cinnamon and wood-spice backbone. Cherry syrup as well, and some waves of alcohol heat. Taste is mellow at first, building to a surprising burn for a comparatively old spirit--and the finish is actually quite numbing. Leads with the lumber, the slightly sweet toasted wood. A bit of milk chocolate, vanilla, cherry syrup, wood sap gradually opening into slight maple syrup. Cinnamon and clove. Some bitterness. Adding water smooths out some of the rough edges, adds some citrus--orange peel, maybe--but also thins out some of the flavour. Leans a bit into over-oaked dryness on the (relatively short) finish, which is mostly bitter tannins. A fine whiskey, but nothing exceptional, and certainly not worth the premium price you're paying in some markets ($75+ in Alberta, Canada).