This is the second rye I've ever had, so I don't have much to compare this to, but I like it! On the nose I get the smell of rye bread, along with some star anise, vanilla, and wood. Tastewise, I get more rye, cereal, mint, pine, anise, and some vanilla sweetness. Finish is pretty cool with the mint notes. Nice change of pace when you're not in the mood for a sweet whiskey like bourbon or a speyside scotch, but I'm not sure how good a value this is compared to other ryes on the market. Update: My second glass of this a few days after my first had more muted flavors than it did the first time. Depending on how the flavor changes as I go through the bottle the score may go down a bit.