Taste: Neat in glen cairn Nose: (3) Initially alot of ethanol on the nose but then it disappears. Lots of vanilla and spice. Some younger wood notes. Reminescent of a wood shop but in a good sort of your grandpa is building something by hand in the shop and you are helping him out type of way. Nose is a bit young. Palate (3.75): Spice and vanilla forward with cinnamon like red-hot candies. Offers a sweetness but not cloyingly or artificial. Not bad, the palate is better than the nose. Addition of water helped the cinnamon settle down a little and opened up some sweet cherry. Finish (3.5): A bit thin and dry is my biggest complaint. Stays woody on the mid palate. The saw dust from grandpa's woodshop takes over a bit. Oak blooms with a warming finish that seems better than its proof. Overall: I would have liked to see MGP pick one bourbon, give it time in the barrel, and come up with a bourbon barrel proof offering like they did with the rye Rossville Union which I very much enjoyed. I think the blending of some older whiskeys with younger ones made this a tad disjointed. It plays a bit young and woody on the back end, but the pieces for a great one are all there, just a little underdeveloped and maybe not enough mesh. I would not kick it off the shelf at the 29/bottle price because it is a quality juice and will be nice for sipping or mixing. The dry finish and the "sand" in the name though will bring a bit of comparison when sipping with bourbon friends. Five stars for the old timey bottle and steam train reference. Reminds me of the show "Hell on Wheels."