An intriguing pour! Unlike other ryes I’ve tasted but somehow superior. The nose is shy and mostly ethanol when I first stick my nose in the glass. Taking a swig and letting it sit a moment helps open it up. It then reveals black pepper, star anise, some clove and allspice, and some of the barrel. On the taste, this whisky really begins to open up, with notes of brown sugar, a little rummy funk, and lots of barrel bitterness. The finish is long and dry (the opposite of sweet), and the rye spiciness is there but not overbearing like some of its American cousins can be. A little water softens this one up a bit and smooths put some of the edgier notes. I find that many of the nicer Canadien expressions (so not your standard Crown or Club) benefit from a little water, and they’re often bottled above 40% to accommodate that without loosing flavor. A good pick if you can find it. Certainly a fine expression of what rye has to offer.