Aroma: Light all around. Faint cherries and cream. Oak. Touch of cinnamon. And maple. Flavor: Tastes of pure maple syrup, but without being notably sweet. A pleasant oaky dryness keeps the sweetness in check. A bit of butterscotch and toffee finds its way from the background over time. Spicy rye keeps the mid-tongue tingling, and the long finish interesting. Mouthfeel: Quite dry. Light body. Not too much heat. Drinks very smoothly really for 45%. Overall: I’ll admit, I bought this one for the sweet-looking label. That, and the Sonoma designation (was really curious what wine country is doing with whisky). And, of course, the $29 price point pushed me over the edge of any hesitation. Really, for the price, it’s a lovely little rye. What it lacks in character it makes up for in easy drinking (yet still interesting) accessibility. There were a couple other labels from Redwood Empire on the shelf too and I look forward to trying them.