Basil Hayden dark rye started me on a port finished bourbons. You immediately smell the fruit from the port. You also smell the alcohol a bit more than I’d prefer. Neat there is some burn that hurts the tasting. Adding ice dilutes the alcohol smell but there is still a burn on the swallow. There is a nice smooth body to this whiskey. I can get a small taste of caramel but a lot of spicy. I do not taste the fruit you smell. Overall a bit more burn and spicy than I’d prefer and not the best aftertaste.