I've been on a rye kick lately. Old Overholt was one of my first ryes and when I saw the Bottled in Bond version in stock I had to give it a try. Tasted neat in a Glencairn... Appearance: Pale gold with skinny fast moving legs Nose: Lots of alcohol on the first try. Let it settle for a few minutes and notes of wood, straw, fresh cut wildflowers, and rye spice emerge. However, the alcohol is still fairly aggressive. A little more time in the glass yields a hint of creamed corn. Neat: It enters the palate spicy and aggressive. A peppery tingle followed by notes of cream soda, caramel, and butterscotch are there, but despite the extra age this one still seems a little unrefined and harsh. Middle palate to the finish feature astringent oak and spice with a lasting coating of tingly cinnamon. Absolutely zero dill like I find in some of the higher percent ryes. Splash: Doesn't change much on the nose, but smooths out the palate considerably. A nice vanilla/cherry coke note with a reduced tingle. It also helps with the astringency. Verdict: Strictly a mixer for me, which is OK. I think that it is what this was intended for and it will probably shine in that role. However, I really don't know if the extra age and slightly higher proof is worth the $5 price difference over the standard issue Old O. I'll let you know what I think after an Old Fashioned or two.