Stunning rye. One of my all time favorites. First time I've ever agreed with the critics on "whiskey of the year" as well. Tried this for the first time at a bar down in Texas before the hype hit. Was stunned by it--and had the chance to share it with a friend who had never tasted a rye before... it is just incredible whiskey. Goes down like it's half it's proof.... however, it does need a while to open up. Second time I had it was from a freshly opened bottle, and it wasn't nearly as good. Opens up well and needs a few weeks/months of being open to fully reach it's potential. This compares favorably to others of the all-time great ryes I've tried--the Saz 18, Thomas Handy 2013, Willett special releases like Iron Fist and Velvet Glove, old High West 21 year bottles, etc. It deserves to be in the same company, and that's the highest praise I can give it. There are other, better cask strength ryes out there--but none I know of that can be bought for any remotely reasonable sum of money. And I know that Booker's rye, at a secondary of $800, is similarly crazy. But at the ~$300 retail, it's worth it, and a far cry better than most other special release ryes of the past few years.