Lip Service Rye Nose: The first time you pop the glass cork you are met with the strong smell of fermented grapes. Pours into the Glencairn the color of a new penny. "Dry" applies to most of the nosing notes. You get the Red Wine and Dried Fruit, Leather, Citrus, and Black Pepper. Some Dried Corn? A hint of Dill? Dry Spices and hints of Dry Wood. Think an old weathered untreated plank of Barn Wood. The nose is very promising. Neat: A general overall Sweetness, but also Peppery and Tingly. Again, a general "Dryness". There is so much going on that it is hard to pin down. Red Wine from the secondary barreling is prominent. Toasted Marshmallow, Dark Berries, Drying Oak, all precede a smooth tingling finish that leaves a coating of Drying Oak and a sweetness reminiscent of Honey & Beeswax. Splash: A little water really accentuates the "wine-y" character of the nose. The overall character becomes Less Dry. The fruit notes transition from dried to fresh. It picks up a gingerbread note on nose and palate. Very Unique. I could nose this one all day. On the finish, the coating starts to remind me of the hard pink Bubblegum that was always stuck in your pack of Topps Baseball Cards. Verdict: I went in knowing it was gimmicky, but still expected to like it. I was wrong...I LOVED it! This may be the best example of barrel finishing an American Whisky that I've had...And at a great price of $32.