Taste: 1 oz. in glen cairn first and then addition of 3 drops distilled water then rested for 15 minutes. Nose (3.75): Initial nose is a full on caramel, butterscotch, oak and ethanol. Traditional bourbon nose. Very upfront and not very complex. The ethanol hits you hard. Let it air out. Palate: (4.25) Straight out of the bottle it tends to be hot. The ethanol is strong and the palate intensifies from what's on the nose. I was not overwhelmingly approving of the palate without cutting it. Resting it with some water was different story entirely. Transformed the experience to taste bit-o-honey, candied apple, intensified the butterscotch. The ethanol and heat were just the right amount then. Again not a puzzling or complex bourbon, but just what you would want if you love to drink traditional aged bourbon that hasn't been amped up by an additional finish in a "spirit of the day" cask or sloshed around on a ship for awhile. Tastes from this one seem to be all barrel magic. Finish (4.0): When neat it was super spicy. Surprised me with spice and I must admit made me cough just a little. When neat it was a 3/5 and a little rough. With water and 15 minutes of patience it is a downright 4-5. Damn fine whisky! Overall- Definately a Heavan Hill product here without doubt. Reminds me of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and checks all the flavor profile boxes of quality Heaven Hill product. Well constructed and very pleasing. Water simply transforms it. My advice is that if you see it at MSRP ($40-45) buy it and bunker a few bottles. The word is getting out on this one because it is a sleeper and like the ECBP my guess is that it will head upwards of $60 and be on allocation by next year. The secondary market will be looking hard for it. Great bourbon to be on the ground floor with