Nose: Light, gentle fruit notes and vanilla. A subtle cereal and fragrant wood presence and some faint cinnamon and honeyed notes in the background. There is a distinctly thin quality to the nose that makes it seem to lack character. Palate: Initially sweet on the arrival but almost instantly turning prickly with spice, the sweet quality is quickly revealed as the simple sweetness of ethanol. The development is low-key and brings out vague fruitiness but the palate is simple and veers towards dryness. Vanilla and rye are apparent and the texture is on the thin side of neutral. Finish: Medium/short. Cereal and alcohol sweetness and a very slightly bitter aftertaste. This is a low-priced mid-to-bottom shelf bourbon that works tolerably well as a mixer, but is not really up to neat tasting, being soft and easy to the point of boredom. There are no particularly disturbing off-notes, but it lacks any real personality. In an odd way it's almost the bourbon analog of blended scotch - it seems like a tolerably good bourbon that has been diluted with characterless grain whisky. In the scotch whisky world this would be sitting on the same shelf as J&B and Grants. There is a hollowness at its core and water does not lend any extra development - it just dilutes the profile. If this was the cheapest bourbon on the shelves I'd give it some grudging respect and rate it more highly. However at the asking price it is competing against Bulleit, Wild Turkey and Maker's Mark and it comes off pretty poorly in comparison. Even Jim Beam White Label, which is considerably cheaper, is a better bourbon. I wouldn't buy it again. "Inferior" : 69/100 (1.75 stars)