Nose: just looking at it was amazing. It had a beautiful darker color to it. It looked and even smelled like honey. It didn’t smell as spicy as I would have imagined for rye whiskey. I could smell dark fruits with a little bit of vanilla with the oak. Taste: I mean my gosh. So smooth, especially for rye whiskey. I got some spice at first, but it was more baking spices, like cinnamon. But that quickly turned into a sweet, but dark cherry flavor, along with some other darker fruits, like plums. This was absolutely mind blowing. Again, well done van winkle, you never fail to amaze me.