Maybe it's cos it's no. 2 and my palate has adjusted but I quite like this one and goes against the grain of my earlier statement of disappointment in the 3.5 to 3.9 distiller rating range...there are always exceptions I guess! Nice spicy rye, caramel, black tea as Joe c noted. It's not a blow you away rye and aftertaste is slightly astringent but it's my type of rye, a solid effort and one I rate higher than the average score (which isn't a frequent occurrence). 3.75